


Seasons (季節)

by la_vie_musicale



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Autumn, F/M, Romance, Spring, Summer, Vacation, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:47:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26470615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_vie_musicale/pseuds/la_vie_musicale
Summary: A lot can happen in the span of a year. The snapshots are just as important as the big pictures. And each season can tell parts of a story that we wouldn't see in any other part of the year.
Relationships: Maka Albarn/Soul Eater Evans
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	1. Autumn 秋

“So, you’ve really never gone apple picking?” Maka asked as she readjusted her blonde pigtails after she put on her jacket. She watched as her partner shrugged as he pulled a knit hat over his white hair. “It’s so fun!”

“My family never really got around to it, I guess. Granny wanted to take Wes and me, but things always came up. And before she could actually do it, I found out I was a weapon and that was the end of that.” He finished as he put his black jacket and backpack on and grabbed his keys.

“How is your family doing by the way?” 

“They’re good I think. Granny keeps calling, telling me to visit. She’s mad she hasn’t met you properly yet and she hates video calling.”

Maka laughed as she put her own set of keys in her pocket. “Then we need to fix that. We can go visit on Winter Break from the school. I haven’t been to New York in the winter.” She finished as she put on a sling bag.

Soul found amusement in Maka’s green eyes and smiled. “I don’t think you know what you’ve signed yourself up for. Do you think you’re ready for my family?”

Maka sighed as she took a step closer to the door of their apartment. “Have you met my father? If I can deal with him, I can deal with anyone. Now let’s go! Everyone’s probably waiting for us!”

Soul watched as she skipped out of the doorway, and he laughed. She seemed much more excited about him going apple picking for the first time than he did. Granted, he was just looking forward to spending some time with her. When he left the apartment and locked the door, he looked to see that she was already waiting by his motorcycle.

“So, how did you find this orchard anyways?” Soul asked as he swung his leg over his bike. He felt as Maka did the same and scootched closer to him, wrapping her arms around him and his bag.

“We looked up any close orchards. Tsubaki said that she wanted fresh apples to bake with, then Patty said she wanted cider. So we decided to go apple picking.”

“Well, let’s get to the train station. Can’t keep fresh apple cider waiting, now can we?”

The start of the motorcycle broke the silence of the morning, and the crisp cool air was saturated with a feeling that could only be described as autumn. It was one of the seasons that Maka looked most forward to. She loved the seasonal coffee, the new books, pumpkin picking and Death City went completely wild for Halloween. Autumn just brought the best of the year. And when the girls suggested that the whole team go apple picking, she was completely for it. When she told Soul, and he said he had never gone, she had suggested that they made a complete day of the trip. She knew it was going to take all day anyways with Kid trying to find even one perfectly symmetrical apple. And chances were he wasn’t even going to eat it if he found it.

The duo made it to the train station where a group of five were waiting for them. A woman with long blonde hair and a knit hat from the group looked up from her phone when she heard the duo walk up and smiled.

“Hey, Bookworm! Never thought you’d be the one to be late.” 

“We’re still here before seven, Liz.” Maka replied. “You can blame Soul for that though.”

She turned to see as Soul walked over to the loud blue-haired young man and a gentle looking woman next to him with her long hair tied in a ponytail.

“Still, I will always remember that you were here after Black Star. Tsubaki must’ve been on his ass to make sure they left on time…”

“She has a gift that us mortals can’t understand. Black Star claims that he’ll surpass the gods, but I’m pretty sure he’s living with one… So how long have you, Kid and Patty been here?”

Liz rolled her eyes as she looked at her sister Patty, who looked like a younger version of herself and very cranky from the lack of sleep, and the young man with dark hair marked with noticeable white marks on one side of his head.

“Kid made us leave the house at exactly 5:03, so we’ve been here for a while…”

Maka gave her a confused look. “5:03?”

“Five plus three equals eight. Only in his mind does that make any type of logical sense. Anyways, all that matters is that we’re all here before the train leaves. We should get our seats, especially if we want to get to the cabin out there.”

Maka nodded and the two of them made sure to collect everyone before boarding the train. She made sure to grab a window seat, with Soul taking the aisle seat next to her. For a second, she struggled between getting out her book and watching the bright orange and yellow colors passing by outside the window. Thankfully Soul was there to talk her out of it, reasoning that it would be a waste of a window seat. Plus, watching everything through a sunrise would probably be one of the best sights that she could ever see.

Granted Soul had a track record of good decisions.

Maka found herself being disappointed by the end of the train ride as she vaguely watched the train slow down. Soul lightly bumped her with his shoulder, snapping her out of her daze.

“We’re here, Maka. Let’s get going.”

Stretching as much as she could on a cramped train, she followed her group of friends outside. She looked around with a confused look.

“Kid, how are we supposed to get to the cabin?”

“My father made sure that a car would be available for us to take when we arrived. It should be a large, black SUV.”

Black Star’s turquoise eyes lit up at the sound of a car available. “Awesome! I’ll drive us! I’m the best at driving anyways! I just got my permit so I’m ready to take us there! We’ll be there so quick you won’t even know we drove! And how could you turn up the chance of driving with a god??”

“I would rather die!” Patty laughed loudly. Maka had to admit that she was thinking the same thing.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Black Star.” Kid replied. “I will be driving.”

“Kid, you drive like an old man…” Liz complained. “The orchard will be closed by the time we get there…”

“Why don’t you drive us, Soul?” Tsubaki suggested. “You’re pretty good at it and you’d get us there safely, don’t you think? Or Maka?”

“I don’t know where we’re going though.” Soul replied, ruffling his white hair. He looked at Maka who returned his gaze with confusion. “You can pull up the address on your phone, right?”

“As long as Kid sends it to me.”

Liz lightly pushed Kid. “Send her the address, Kid.”

Black Star could feel his blood pressure rising with each new person that spoke. “Hold on! Are you ignoring me?? How are you going to just disrespect me like-” 

“Black Star, let’s just go find the car with Patty.” Tsubaki said as less a suggestion and more of a reason to get him away from the rest of the group before he caused an even bigger scene.  
Meanwhile, Kid typed out the address for the cabin and sent it to Maka right before giving the car key to Soul.

“Let’s get going then. Maka, just make sure you get the front seat before Black Star calls shotgun or something. You know it’s the kind of shit he’d pull.”

Maka rolled her eyes at the thought. Of course he’d do that, especially with how pissed he was about not being able to drive. Maybe Tsubaki would be able to hold him off for long enough so that she could crawl into the seat before Black Star. Soul grabbed his bag along with Maka's and began their trek to the car before she could object to him doing so.

The SUV was found with Black Star predictably hovering around the front passenger seat. Maka knew that she'd have to be careful about the way she approached.

"Black Star, did you even put your stuff in the back of the car yet?" Maka asked.

"You guys have the keys so how could I??"

Liz motioned for Black Star to follow her to the back of the vehicle, to which he eyed her suspiciously. Liz's face scrunched up at his response.

"Come on Spaz. We gotta put our stuff back there!" 

His eyes shifted carefully between Liz and Maka before shifting his bag from his back to his left shoulder before relocating to the back of the SUV along with Kid and Soul. Within that moment, Soul unlocked the back of the car along with the rest of the doors and Maka climbed into the front passenger side seat.

"I knew you were planning something! Maka, move! I want that front seat!"

“Black Star, let it go.” Tsubaki said somewhat calmly. “You can sit in the front seat on our way back from the orchard. He just needs Maka to give him the directions.”

Black Star roughly threw his bag in the back of the SUV before getting in the back of the vehicle. “Fine! But this is not the way a god should be treated! I’ll just think of all the great ideas I have for us to do tonight!”

Maka sighed as she pulled up the GPS app on her phone before settling in the front passenger’s seat. Soul followed suit and drove to the cabin, which upon closer inspection was more like a small mansion than a stereotypical cabin that everyone had in mind.

“According to Father, there are two rooms available. I took it upon myself to divide the rooms for the women and men respectively.”

Maka looked at the large cabin and internally questioned if it really only had two rooms. There was a huge driveway in front of the house leading from a gate. From what she could see through the windshield, there was a huge deck that looked like it wrapped around the back of the house. It was so close to the forest in the backyard that they could go on a hike if they wanted to, and it was a two story house.

“You’re saying that in this huge house, there are only TWO rooms?” Soul asked incredulously. “You can’t be serious…”

Kid looked at his cell phone and ran his thumb on the screen. “According to the information from the rental agreement that Father sent me, all of the other rooms are strictly for entertainment purposes. There are four rooms in total, but two of the rooms are large bedrooms with three beds per room. One room is a game room for video games and the like. The other is a weight training room. There is a large backyard, with a firepit and a trail down to a lake. And the kitchen is clear so we can buy whatever we need for the weekend with ample space.”

“Wow…” Liz breathed. “You’re dad went all out, huh Kid?”

The car drove through the large driveway in front of the house before Soul parked the car and unlocked the doors. “Everybody, get your shit and get out. I’m tired of being your chauffeur.”

“Aw! But you're so good at it!” Patty laughed. “You should drive me around more often!”

“No thank you.”

The team poured out of the car, grabbed their bags and made their way in the cabin. To their surprise, it looked even bigger inside than outside. There was an overwhelming smell of wood, and Maka wasn’t sure if that was the forest outside or the material the cabin was made out of. She wandered upstairs and saw two doors already marked with pink and blue sticky notes, and she assumed they were the bedrooms. She opened the door and upon walking in found a room with three beds and an adjacent bathroom that housed a full sized bath, large mirror and bright lighting. All of them could probably fit in that bathroom if they wanted to. 

She heard Liz whistle behind her at the entrance of the room. 

“Holy Hell… This place is huge… All four of us could do flips and not smack into each other...”

"Can we examine the rooms later? We have an appointment to keep, everyone." Kid called from the foyer of the house.

"You must have planned everything out to the minute, Kid." Tsubaki said with a slight giggle. "How long did it take you?"

"Ah, don't ask him that, Tsubaki! He's too organized anyways! It's boring!" Black Star whined loudly as he came out of his room.

"It's not boring to have everything planned out. We can't all go head first into everything like an idiot."

Soul could sense the beginning argument brewing and wandered outside. He felt the crisp air hit his face and could only hope that everyone would hurry up so they could get going. He didn't mind driving but unless it was his bike, it wasn't his favorite pastime. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his Meister smiling at him.

"Are you still good to drive? I can take over if you want."

"That'll really fuck with Black Star. You know that right?"

Maka gave a sly smile. "You trying to give me the hard sell? I'm already offering."

Soul couldn’t help but chuckle at her. Her playful face made the whole idea of driving people around much more bearable. Even with the threat of Black Star yelling in his ear, she kind of made it worth it. He took her hand, noticing the slight shock register on her face, and placed the key of the car in her hand.

“Then we’ll switch off. Let’s get our seats before everyone else comes out.”

Maka nodded with a smile and Soul watched as she quickly climbed into the driver’s seat. He took his seat as well and kept an eye out on the door. After a minute of no movement, he gave Maka a smirk.

“Honk the horn. That’ll get them moving.”

Maka furrowed her eyebrows. “I’m pretty sure they’ll hate that…”

“You know you want to.”

Soul took Maka’s hand quickly and honked the horn before she could resist. He heard her gasp loudly and felt her lightly push him. 

“Soul!”

About a second later, everyone started coming towards the car, with Black Star noticing the change in drivers.

“First Soul, now Maka? You know what? I’m driving at least once this weekend! In fact, I’m gonna drive back from the orchard today! End of story!” Black star said aggressively as he climbed in the vehicle.

“Fine. If it means we won’t have to deal with you as a headache, you can drive us back.” Kid said as he texted Soul the address to the orchard. “But since you only have your permit, I’m going to be up here with you.”

A conversation between Kid and Black Star dominated the car, making Maka’s focus on the road an easy choice. About twenty minutes later, they were pulling into the parking lot of a small red and white store front. Reaching behind the store was the orchard they had heard so much about. While they could see the many colors of the different kinds of apples, there were also pears and what looked like grapes.

"Wow, this looks pretty cool." Soul stated as he stepped out the car. "So do we just go and start picking?" 

"I'll let them know we're here. Just wait and I'll be back." Kid responded. As they watched him leave, Soul lightly touched Maka's arm.

"Thanks for driving."

"Well I know you aren't the biggest fan of it."

“I don’t mind driving you around on my bike. But that’s when it’s just the two of us and no arguing. Unless it’s us arguing.”

Maka laughed. “You’re weird.”

“Yeah, but I’m weird in a cool way. So it evens out.” Soul said, smirking at her. Before Maka could respond, Tsubaki came next to her with a smile on her face. Soul watched as she started a conversation with her, and quietly sighed. He figured he was having a slight moment with Maka, but like so many times before they were stolen or on borrowed time. And even though they lived together, whenever a moment came up, Blair or Spirit would find a way to bust in and ruin it.

And he really just wanted to tell her once that she was cute. It could feel the desire to do so eating him up alive. He honestly didn’t think he could like anyone as much as he liked her. But here he was… It was such a foreign weird feeling.

Kid returned and informed everyone that they could start picking any of the fruits or vegetables that were available after handing out baskets for picking. Maka, Tsubaki, Liz and Patty rushed off into the fields to pick any apples they could find. If Soul was being honest, he still had no idea what was going on. He looked at Black Star who looked just as confused as he felt. It seemed simple enough though. Just… pick the apples right?

About an hour later, Maka made her way over to Soul. Her basket was full enough that it was starting to get heavy, but she knew that she could fill it with more. Maybe if Soul was still struggling, she could help him and find some more good stuff for her basket. 

“So, how did it go, Soul? Did you find some good stuff?”

Soul looked at his basket and shrugged. “Maybe? I kind of tried to pick the ones that were on the tree, but a good amount were already picked.”

“Well, you can also get the ones on the ground. If they’re a little dingy we can cook with them. We can make apple butter or something.”

Soul glanced at Maka’s basket and was slightly shocked. “You got apples and pears? I didn’t even know there were pears here.”

"Tsubaki spotted them and said she really wanted some pears. Though, they aren't quite ripe yet. Here, we can get some for you." Maka took Soul's hand and led him over to the pear trees. He was honestly surprised to see that they were alone, though he could hear somewhere in the fields Patty and Black Star laughing loudly. He couldn’t help but hold her hand a little tighter in excitement

“Man, I can hear Black Star from here… I’m surprised he isn’t causing more chaos...” Maka stated as she found a pear tree. “Anyways, pick any that look pretty to you and squeeze the top of it. If it’s soft, it’s ripe.”

Soul nodded and reached in the tree and tried to find ripe fruits. It only took him a few practice rounds to get a rhythm going for picking out fruit. It felt like almost immediately his basket was half way full. 

“Wow, you did a good job.”

“I have a pretty cool teacher, so it’s only natural.” Soul said, making Maka smile brightly. Man, that smile...

“You’re so cute.”

Soul felt his stomach drop and watched as Maka’s smile disappeared and her face turned red. What… had he just done? Why had he done something so stupid?? How did that even slip out!? 

“Um! I mean, uh-!”

“Hey, are you guys done yet? We’re about to leave!”

The two turned to see Liz waving at them from far enough away that she couldn’t notice the new awkward atmosphere. 

“Y-yeah! Give us, like, five seconds!” Soul called back. He turned to see his partner, who was uncharacteristically silent. “Maka-”

“Did, um… I mean, I guess we should get going, right? I don’t think Black Star isn’t going to be patient with us for too long.” Soul noted the shakiness in her voice, which was so unlike her. Unless she was pissed. Oh Death, was she pissed? Had he permanently fucked things up? She had a tight smile on her face, too. She was probably going to let him down easy. Well, it’s not like he properly told her that he liked her… But he basically had! You don’t just randomly tell someone they’re cute! Unless you were Spirit Albarn and that’s NOT who he wanted to emulate at the moment.

Before he could properly articulate anything from the millions of thoughts flowing through his head, Maka started rushing off as she tightly held her basket full of fruits against her hip. He roughly sighed and readjusted his basked under his jacket clad arm. Maybe he’d have to polish up his resume to find a new partner. Great, now he was spiraling…

By the time Soul reached the SUV, he could see Maka was already in the back row through the open trunk. He placed his basket, and rushed around to the door and sat in front of her immediately going on his phone. He ignored the argument between Kid and Black Star, and tried to ignore the sweat rolling down the back of his neck that had nothing to do with the heated seats in the car. Liz glanced at him quickly before finding a seat in the car and yelling at Kid to just let Black Star drive.

When they got back to the cabin, Kid sighed loudly. “As someone who can’t die in the traditional sense, I’ve never felt closer to death than I did on that car ride.”

“Whatever dude! I’m a good driver! They think so too! Right?”

“Black Star, please give Tsubaki the key…” Maka said, her voice thick with exhaustion. “I need someone to drive normal. That was the worst...”

“Oh shut up, Maka!” Black Star replied before handing his partner the key to the car.

Everyone else left the car without incident, with Soul giving a parting look to Maka without saying anything. She simply blushed, which put his nerves into overdrive. Great, he made things terrible between them. Best to focus on getting the fruit into the house and not let his mind wander to how he completely destroyed the closest relationship he had. After the fruit were stacked in the kitchen, Kid, Maka and Tsubaki drove off to the store.

“Hey Soul. Want to go look at the lake?” Liz asked after the car was gone. 

Soul looked at her confused, but shrugged with a nod all the same. “Sure, why not?”

They watched as Patty and Black Star made their way to the weightroom, and walked through the woods of the backyard. They found the lake that kid had mentioned, taking in the crisp autumn air.

“So, what happened between you and Maka?”

Soul chuckled nervously before sitting down on the dock in the water. “What are you talking about?”

Liz sat next to him, with her legs swinging off the side of the dock. “You guys were acting weird in the car and you didn’t say bye to each other. Which is different from normal. I mean, you were flirting earlier today.”

Soul felt his face heat up, happy that his beanie covered his ears. “Flirting is a strong word…”

“Yet incredibly accurate. I mean, you guys flirt all the time.”

“We don’t! … Do we?”

Liz rolled her eyes. “Black Star notices it. Black Star. There’s a reason her dad doesn’t like you, dude. So what happened?”

“I... accidentally told her she was cute... Like, it just slipped out and-”

“That’s all? That’s not a big deal.”

“Trust me, Liz. It’s a big deal. That’s not a normal thing that we say to each other. I mean… I've never said that to her face...”

“Oh... Well, did you mean it?” 

Soul felt his face get even warmer as his head started lowering. “Of course I did…” He didn’t even recognize his own voice. Instead of a man in his early twenties, he sounded like a fourteen year old again. To be honest, he felt like one too. 

“Don’t freak out then. Like, isn’t one of Maka’s faults that she’s way too honest? If she didn’t like it, she’d tell you. And if she doesn’t feel the same way, it’s not like she’s just going to throw you away or whatever. You guys have been through way too much crap to get off track because of this. You’ll get through it. So don’t beat yourself up over it. Plus this way she knows about the feelings you’ve had for her for like a decade. It'll make you feel better!”

“It hasn’t been-”

“I mentioned that BLACK STAR has noticed you guys flirting right? If it’s any consolation, I think you two’d be cute together.”

"Thanks. Now can we please talk about something else?"

Liz pat him on the back laughing at him. Meanwhile, Kid, Maka and Tsubaki were at the store shopping off of their list for dinner. 

"Kid, were you making apple pie or apple crisps?" 

"We have enough apples for both. And I can make pear crisps as well. I've brought enough cookware for everything."

"Okay, well. Tsubaki and I are going to get our stuff. Call us if you need us."

Maka felt as though her words fell on deaf ears as Kid had begun to focus on his list of ingredients. She and Tsubaki started on their journey, with her slightly distracted by earlier events. She was so zoned out that she didn't even realize when Tsubaki asked a question.

"Maka? You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah! Sorry, what did you ask?"

"Don't worry about it. But you're acting weird. Did something happen?"

"No. Well yes. Maybe? I dunno…"

"Well that didn't make any sense."

"I know… Soul called me cute earlier and I just didn't know how to react. Now I can't look at him and it's just weird." Maka said embarrassed, resisting the urge to look at her feet.

“I thought you’d have wanted that, though.”

“W-what…?”

“You can’t be serious. People can read you like a book. It’s pretty obvious you like him. Well, obvious to everyone but him I guess… But this is a good thing right?”

“I mean, I think so. But it could have been platonically or something right?”

“I’m pretty sure you’re overthinking things, Maka. Wouldn’t it be easier to just talk to him?”

“I know you’re right… Why are you always right?”

Tsubaki put an arm around Maka’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “Oh, I’m just good at listening. And don’t worry about it.”

After what seemed like an eternity, the three made their way back to the cabin and made their way to where the baskets of apples were. They were determined to not peel and cook so they set up a system with Soul, Liz, Patty and Black Star peeling while Maka, Tsubaki and Kid cooked. Both Soul and Maka couldn’t help but steal glances at each other every once in a while, and with each glance, a million thoughts ran through their heads. 

With everyone’s help, the meal was completed, with the cabin smelling almost completely of apples with a slight hint of pears. A full meal made of apples with apple cider on the stove was finally achieved. Maka made a point to make sure that she wasn’t awkward around Soul, and after they were done eating, Black Star had made a point to pull out his playing cards while sitting around the firepit on the back deck.Thankfully the cider was done just before he broke out a round of Truth or Dare. Everyone made their way inside to get a mug of the drink, while Soul made a point to keep his spot. He was excited to get some cider but… he was also just tired from the day. Much to his surprise it had been more eventful than he had meant it to be, and he kind of just wanted to go to bed and not think about anything anymore.

“I brought you some cider if you want some.”

Soul looked up and was surprised to see his Meister holding two mugs of apple cider.

“Oh… Thanks…” He said, the uncertainty playing in his voice. Maka frowned.

“You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to.”

“Oh, no! I do. Thanks.”

Maka laughed. “You’re so serious. I was just kidding. Do you mind company?”

Soul shook his head as he took the mug and watched his Meister sit next to him. He silently took a sip of his drink before glancing at Maka who was watching the fire and doing the same. She really was cute. But it was more than just cute. Everything she did, even from simple things like fixing her hair or drinking cider was appealing to him. Even if they had an awkward moment earlier today, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking like that. 

Suddenly she looked at him, breaking him from his thoughts and almost making him spill his drink. She smiled. “Is it good?”

“Y-yeah. Was it just you that made it…?”

Maka shrugged. “A mix of me, Kid and Tsubaki. We had to tone Kid down before he overkilled it with cinnamon. I wouldn’t have guessed that was his favorite.” She replied amused. Soul nodded and gave a nervous chuckle. It was like nothing had happened earlier today. He knew it. She was letting him down easy… He could physically feel the pain from the drop in his stomach, and the disappointment in his chest almost made it hard to breathe. Now he really just wanted to go to bed and sleep the day off like a bad hangover.

“So, um… about earlier…”

“Oh! Yeah… about that! I just-” Maybe if he could get out ahead of the trainwreck he could make himself look cooler than he actually felt. Maybe he could even fool Maka! Okay, that was a major stretch, but he could try, right?

“Did you… um… I mean… Did you mean that…?”

Soul desperately wanted to save face. The urge was almost overpowering. The words just wouldn’t come out. If he could just push them out of his mouth, their relationship could go back to normal. Just one simple ‘no’ could fix everything. He could say he was joking! He could say that he meant it platonically. He could-

“Yes…” He squeaked out, intensely focusing on his cup. Again, his voice was unrecognizable. When did he start sounding so tiny? This wasn’t normal for him and he didn’t really welcome the new change. Did he dare to look up at his Meister? Of course he did! He wasn’t a coward! He may have been scared, but he wasn’t a coward. All he had to do was raise his head. Slowly, he moved his gaze upward towards her, but it was not what he was expecting.

She was smiling. And not a mocking smile. A genuine smile. Oh Hell…

"I... I do think you’re cute. I'd also use the word.. um… b-beautiful… I mean if that's not too weird…" Soul continued nervously. He could feel the blood rushing to his face with every word.

Maka set her mug on the ground next to her and tucked her legs underneath her arms. She really didn’t need the cider to warm up anymore. At least not for her face. "I didn't think you thought about me that way…"

Soul's throat was thick from his nerves and no amount of cider could loosen it up. "I have for awhile, Maka. I just didn't know how to say it. It kind of slipped out today. Uncool, I know...”

“Well… it’s okay to not be cool every once in a while.”

“Maybe only in front of you… You won’t rat me out.”

Maka laughed shyly and took another sip from her mug. Soul sheepishly watched her as she continued to watch the fire while drinking. He was surprised that things had gone somewhat smoothly, but he had to really get everything out in the open. Liz had to be right. Once it was all out in the open, he’d feel better right?

“Maka, I like you. A lot. I think you’re cute, and I’d really like to take you out on a date. So would you go out with me sometime?”

He watched as Maka’s face gave a small smile before she looked at him. “Sure. I’d really like that.”

Soul couldn’t stop his face from turning into a smile of relief. He picked up his mug, consciously touching the warm part of the cup to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He noticed her inch a little closer to him, which made his stomach pick itself up off the ground and almost in his throat. He could finally breathe, which he felt like he couldn’t for at least ten minutes.

And to his surprise, Maka rested her head on his shoulder, shocking him in the best way. He slowly turned to see his Meister, who was slightly red and smiling shyly at him. She was right though. Apple picking was fun.


	2. Winter 冬

Winter 冬

Soul readjusted his coat after pulling two large red suitcases off of the luggage carousel in a busy airport. He sighed as he looked at his partner, who's long blonde hair was tied into pigtails on either side of her head and covered by a hat. Her green eyes looked exhausted, which honestly made him sympathize with her. He ran a hand through his white hair before rolling the smaller suitcase to her.

"So, Maka. Welcome to a New York Christmas." Soul said before closing his red eyes with a yawn. He supposed he was more tired than he thought. While it was a seven hour flight, traveling at any time during the holidays was terrible. His family had offered to fly them first class, but… in all honesty, he wanted to feel normal for a little longer.

Maka took hold of her suitcase and yawned before snuggling into her coat. "I'm too sleepy to really take in the whole wonder of the city. I'll try again tomorrow."

Soul pulled his phone out of his coat pocket and turned it back on to see a barrage of text messages from Maka's father appear. He thumbed through the many of them to find a message from the contact "Wes Evans" which was mixed in between them.

"Wes said he's going to meet us by the door of the airport parking garage by Terminal 1. I guess we're looking for that."

Maka nodded and took Soul's outreached hand. Honestly, she was the only reason he was any type of calm. Maybe it was her calming wavelength, or just the fact that he wasn't here alone, but he felt a lot safer visiting his family with her there.

The two of them quickly rushed to the terminal, partially fighting their way through stressed travellers and found a man who looked like an older version of Soul dressed in a dark grey long coat. He was holding a big sign that had both Soul and Maka's name on it and his blue eyes were frantically scanning the crowds. Maka laughed as Soul squeezed her hand slightly from embarrassment.

"I'm guessing that's Wes."

"We could just get a different flight out of here, you know? Throw a dart on a map and fly there."

Before Maka could respond, Wes caught sight of them and rushed over to them like an overstimulated puppy. His arms were wrapped around Soul almost immediately as he lifted him up in the air. Soul instantly felt twelve years younger, with the embarrassment to match.

"Soul, I missed you so much! I honestly didn't think you were gonna show!"

"Wes, put me down…"

"Sorry! I sometimes forget you're twenty-three..." Wes replied, placing his brother carefully on the ground.

Maka noted how similar they sounded. Wes' voice was maybe a smidge deeper, but he really did remind her of an older Soul. At least physically. Wes seemed a lot more open than Soul, that was for sure. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed him put his sights on her and in an instant she was embraced in a bear hug of her own.

"And you must be Maka Albarn! We've heard so much about you. So happy that you could make it over for Christmas!"

Maka stumbled out of Wes' arms before laughing and readjusting her heavy peacoat. "Thanks for having us."

"Here, let me grab your luggage and we can get going. I'm parked pretty close to the door."

"Wes, you drove here? And paid for parking?" Soul asked incredulously. It must have been murder trying to find any kind of parking. And he saw from the airplane that it was starting to snow.

"Of course I did. I wasn't going to send a driver to come pick up my brother that I haven't seen in years. I got here extra early so that I could make sure I got a good spot."

Maka glanced at Soul who was speechless with a blank look on his face. She simply took his hand and led him in the direction that Wes had rushed off to. The trio found their place in Wes' car after he kindly made sure to place their luggage in the trunk among what looked like bunches of Christmas presents. If Maka was reading correctly, it looked like a good chunk of them had either her name on it or Soul's, which was amusing.

"So, where are we staying?" Soul asked as Wes started up the car. "When I told Mom we were coming she said that she would plan everything and wouldn't let me ask. I had to literally strongarm her into letting us take coach."

"Well, she was originally going to clean up your old room and the nicest guest room for the two of you, but I stepped in. I thought it would be easier to stay with me at my condo."

"That's so nice of you Wes." Maka said as she sat back in the back passenger's seat with Soul. She lightly put her hand on his for comfort, and wordlessly he took hold of it, calming her down. Turning her attention to the window after they had made it out of the madhouse that was the airport, she saw all of the Christmas decorations that stood out against the snow falling. Even against the backdrop of the loud traffic, it was something spectacular.

About forty minutes later, the trio made their way to a large condo that was overlooking the city from a window that was basically one of the walls. Maka couldn't help but let her jaw drop. It was such a large space, and she was surprised something like this even existed. The living room itself was larger than the whole of their apartment, filled with modern dark furniture contrasting with the bright whiteness of the walls. She looked up and saw a geometric chandelier hanging from the ceiling and right below it was a large coffee table surrounded by the furniture. There were music awards which completely filled a trophy wall and on the adjacent wall was a large television with organized consoles connected to it. And that was just the living room.

"I didn't think you still lived so close to home." Soul said as he walked in, completely unphased by the extravagance of the condo.

"Mom said she already lost one son, and she can't lose another. Dad can't talk her out of it, so here we are… Want a tour of the place, Maka?"

"Uh, y-yeah. This place is beautiful."

"Oh, it's nothing! I cleaned it up especially for you guys! Here, let me take you to your rooms first!" Wes said, bounding away from Maka and Soul. Soul gave a little sigh before looking at Maka.

"You got him started. I hope you're happy."

Maka gave a smile with a slight shrug and took her luggage, rolling it towards the direction that Wes ran off in. Soul simply did the same.

Wes made sure to show them to their two rooms, with Maka getting a large guest room with way more space than she would know what to do with. She dropped off her suitcase next to the bed and continued to follow Wes out to another large guest room, with a large bed, a huge window and too much space to do anything with. The most noticeable difference was that this room also had an electric piano and a pile of sheet music organized in a corner of the room.

"I had to go out and buy another bed, Soul. This is usually my music room, but I wanted you guys to stay here so I went ahead and cleaned it all out just for you. But in case you wanted to practice any music, I left the piano in here."

Soul walked over and played the G note before giving a slightly tired sigh. "Thanks, Wes. I appreciate it."

"But, if you don't want it here, I can-"

"Oh! No, Wes. You've already done so much for us, you don't have to. I'm sorry, it was just a long flight."

Wes gave a relieved look before smiling. "I'm sorry, you're right. It has been pretty long. We can go to the main house tomorrow whenever you guys wake up. I'm actually going to be there for the night. Mom wants me to help decorate the house for you guys so I'll be back in the morning."

"You don't have to rush. I can call you whenever we get ready."

Wes nodded, a relieved smile on his face. "Sounds good."

Maka smiled. She could tell how happy Wes was to have his brother home, even if it was just for a short amount of time. She turned to Wes.

"Thanks for keeping us for the week, Wes. We really appreciate it."

"It's no problem at all. I'm really happy you guys decided to visit us. Granny is gonna be super excited to see you guys."

Soul smiled, thinking of his grandmother's face. It had been a couple years since he had seen her, and she was still as active as ever. She had been trying to get them home for as long as he could remember, and she had made a point to say how much she really wanted to meet Maka. And while he wanted plenty of things, the two most important people in his life meeting was definitely at the top of his list.

The two of them watched as Wes left, hearing the front door open and close. Maka gave a tired sigh. "Okay, well, I'm going to take a shower. I think each of the rooms have their own bathrooms? Like this place is a mansion!"

"Wait until you see my parents' place. It's even bigger. It's also amazing how such a big house can suffocate you."

Maka frowned and walked over to Soul, wrapping her arms around his waist. She felt him return her hug as she buried her face in his chest for a second.

"If this becomes too much, we can always fly home early. We can sneak back home and just eat Christmas dinner in secret and watch bad movies." She looked up at him with a sweet smile, which he returned.

"Well, this trip is already better because I'm not here alone. So I think I can do it. I mean, we've survived a couple evil witches and a fucked up book. How bad could this be?"

Maka laughed before letting Soul go to return to her temporary bedroom. After he was sure she was gone, he released an anxious sigh. He slowly went over to his bed and sat down on it and a slight bounce responded to him. He could already tell that the bed was way too soft but it didn't matter. He looked at the clock on the night table next to the bed and was surprised to see that it wasn't even midnight yet, but it definitely felt like it was. He looked out his large window, watching the snowfall against the backdrop of the city. He had forgotten how much he missed the solitude of it.

Soul woke up to a light knock at his bedroom door. He slowly rolled over and looked at the clock that read 5:05 AM. A large tired sigh escaped his lips before rolling himself until his feet hit the ground. The first thing he thought was that it was Wes waking him up because of something his mother wanted done before they went to visit. He was slightly surprised to see Maka standing at his door, still looking exhausted.

"Sorry for waking you up. It's just... I couldn't sleep. Can I come in?"

Soul nodded and stepped aside as Maka walked into his room and sat cross-legged on his bed.

"So." Soul started, suppressing a yawn. "What's going on, Albarn?"

"Don't laugh at me when I say this okay?" Maka warned quietly. Soul simply nodded as he lay back on the headboard of his bed. He watched as she fiddled with the hem of her oversized long-sleeved shirt before sighing.

"I'm nervous about meeting your family."

"For real? My family is nothing to be worried about. Trust me."

"That's easy for you to say! It's your family! You're used to them."

Soul lightly scratched his cheek before reaching his hand out to Maka who took it. "Okay, I'm going to tell you something. And it's your turn to not laugh at me." She nodded and inched closer to him. "So, you remember when Wes said my family had heard a lot about you?" To that, Maka nodded, and the butterflies in his stomach multiplied as he held her hand a little tighter. "You were the first person I told my family about after I got to the school. And everytime I would call, I'd talk about you, mostly good. I'd tell them if we were fighting, too. Or if you got hurt. I told them about everything. They got… really excited because I never really talked about anyone like that before…"

Maka felt herself smile before moving to lay next to Soul. "So you even told them about our fights?"

"Mostly Wes or Granny… Just because I didn't know what to do to make it better."

"That's cute." She said as she leaned her head on his shoulder as she yawned. "I'm sorry for bugging you so early in the morning. The bed was too soft and I couldn't get comfortable."

"You can sleep in here if you want then. I'm plenty uncomfortable to sleep next to."

Maka nodded and got under the covers next to Soul. She felt as he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her warm. If she were being honest, she was still pretty nervous about meeting his family, but from what Soul said and how Wes acted, they seemed like they were nice and excited to meet her. Before she drifted off, she saw the snow lightly falling out of the window feeling more comfortable than she was an hour before.

The sun rose, and Maka woke up to the bright room, still in Soul's arms. His head was cocked back, with drool almost dripping off his chin which amused her. Pushing herself away from him and stretching, she waded out of the large bed. Though she didn't necessarily want to leave, she knew it would be a big deal if Wes happened to catch them together.

"No, don't go yet…" Soul mumbled with his voice thick with sleep. He grabbed her hand lightly pulling her back to him. "If we get up, then we have to deal with everyone else…"

"Soul, it's Christmas Eve. We're going to have to interact with them sooner or later."

"Later, later…"

Maka broke away from his light hold and kissed him on the forehead. "I'm going to get ready. Thanks for letting me sleep here last night. I promise I won't bother you again."

"I'm not holding my breath, Albarn…" Soul replied sleepily before his Meister left the room. He sighed and leaned his head back against the headboard, dozing off. He was awoken again by a knock on his door, which sounded familiar but different than Maka's. Again, he rolled in the bed until feet met the ground and made his way to the door. Upon opening it, he found Wes with a huge smile on his face.

"So, you're still here. I figured you'd convinced Maka to leave in the middle of the night."

Soul leaned against the door frame, feeling too tired to really deal with his brother. "It was touch and go for a while. How is everyone?"

"Excited to see you. Now, come on, it's noon and they've called about ten times each asking where you are. Mom also sent a long message saying that she would have seen her baby boy if I had not stolen him away from her for the week."

Soul rolled his eyes. It was already beginning. He rubbed his eyes and nodded. "Okay. I'm getting ready. Give me, like, thirty minutes."

Wes nodded and watched the door close in his face. He made his way over to Maka's room and knocked on the door loudly. A second later, Maka appeared with a smile dressed in jeans and a thick sweater. "Good morning, or rather, afternoon!"

"I'm glad to see that you're ready." Wes said with a smile. "We're just waiting on Soul. He said he'd take half an hour."

Maka nodded. "Oh! By the way!" Wes watched as Maka went into her luggage and pulled out a small wrapped box. "I got you a present! But you can't open it until tomorrow okay?"

Wes smiled and nodded. "You have my word." Maka went back over to her luggage and grabbed a bag and two small boxes before the two headed to the living room. After sitting down, there was a bit of a silence between the two as they waited. Maka wondered if there was even anything to talk about while Wes had so many questions that he didn't know where to start.

"So I know this is weird, but Soul said that you can see souls?" Wes started nervously.

"I can, if I concentrate. Do you want to know about yours?"

"Yes, please." Wes responded quickly, the excitement incredibly evident in his voice. Maka laughed.

"Okay, let's see." Maka closed her eyes, concentrating on the man in front of her, finding his soul. It was incredibly energetic and a warm feeling came from it. "You're definitely excited about having Soul here with everyone. You missed him. But… there's a little uncertainty."

Wes smiled gently. "Wow, you got it on the nose. I haven't seen Soul in person in so long, and for the family to be together again is probably the best Christmas gift in the world. But, I know that it's weird for Soul. I just want him to have a good time, but I know that Mom and Dad can be overwhelming."

Maka nodded. Soul didn't really talk a whole lot about his family, but whenever they came up his whole demeanor would change. His answers would be short and he would just shut down. She knew there was something going on, and she knew that him being a weapon was a good out for him, but she never pressed him on it. She knew he would talk when he was ready, no matter how long it took him.

Before they could continue the conversation, Soul made his way into the living room fully dressed. "It's too quiet in here, and all you guys do is talk."

Maka rolled her eyes. "Took you long enough. Are we finally ready to get going?"

"Don't start with me, Albarn. Ready to go, Wes?"

"When you are. Maka, trust me, you're going to have the best time."

Maka felt her stomach flip again. She just wanted to make a good impression, but after putting their loved one in so much danger, would they even want to really meet her? Would they even want to tolerate her? She could feel herself becoming stiff. She felt Soul lightly touch her hand with the tip of his fingers. Looking at him, he leaned down and whispered,

"Remember, we can always fly away if things get too rough." She smiled as he kissed her on the top of her head and they followed Wes to his car. About 15 minutes later, they arrived at a large building, confusing Maka.

"Is the whole building the house?"

Soul shrugged. "Sort of? They live in the penthouse at the top of the building, but they own the building."

"I'm going to park the car. You guys can go on up. They'll be super happy to see you."

Soul softly sighed and looked at Maka who was fixing her coat and smoothing out her hair, which was out of her normal pigtails. It was a rare sight to see her so uncertain about anything, though oddly, it calmed him down. At least he wasn't the only one who felt like they were crawling in their skin.

"Trust me, you look fine." Soul said quietly before getting out of the car, closely followed by Maka. Wes quickly drove off, with Soul taking hold of Maka's hand. If he were being honest, it was more for himself than for her. The emotions swirling in his head were making him dizzy, so much so that even the cold air couldn't sober him. He felt Maka's eyes on him, and looked at her apologetically. She shook her head and squeezed his hand.

"We can stay right here as long as you need."

Soul nodded and took a deep breath, pushing it out in a cloud of steam. "Okay, let's do this."

He led his Meister through the entrance of the building and reached the elevator, putting a special code in for the top floor. It felt as though time stood still as they quietly passed each floor until a soft ding snapped them back to reality. Maka readjusted the bag full of gifts in her left hand as she squeezed Soul's right hand.

"No turning back now."

"No turning back now." Soul repeated with determination as he led them through the elevator doors to an expensive looking door with a geometric stained glass pattern on the door. There was a number pad next to the door and Soul typed in a long passcode right before a loud click sounded, indicating the door was unlocked.

"Hello? I'm home and I brought someone with me…" Soul called as he slowly opened the door. Maka was completely amazed by the long corridor lined with artwork that looked like it emptied into a brightly lit living space. She could faintly hear fast footsteps coming to the door and almost immediately on the opposite end of the hallway was a woman in a red floor length dress, perfect makeup and bright red lipstick that matched her dress. Her platinum hair was tied in a bun at the nape of her neck and slightly off center, and her striking blue eyes looked somewhat emotional from what Maka could determine. The woman started running towards them, which Maka was amazed at seeing as how she never let the dress hinder her steps even once. A second later, Soul was in an embrace, and sounding like he was running out of air.

"Oh, my baby! My baby finally came home!" The woman cried, dramatic emotion echoing through the hallway. "I'm so happy you're here!"

"Please let go, Mom…" Came Soul's slightly muffled voice. "You still need to meet Maka."

Immediately, she let go of her son and latched onto Maka. It was then that she understood why Soul wanted to be let go. She had a vice grip that could probably put Black Start to shame. After a second, the woman stepped back, sniffing and blotting her eyes with the tips of her finely manicured finger decorated with red nail polish.

"I'm so sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Evangeline Evans! It's so nice to meet you finally! We've heard such good things about you!"

"Oh, thank you so much. It's nice to finally meet you."

Evangeline smiled brightly before ushering the two of them down the corridor. Maka was flabbergasted. If Wes' condo was big, then this penthouse was massive. The living room was immaculately decorated with modern art and a huge window wall looked out to the roof. The walls were painted a color that was somewhere between white and light blue, with light fixtures every couple of feet. Black sofas and loveseats were littered around the huge space, with a large electric fireplace in the center of the wall to the right of them. In a corner was a large carefully decorated Christmas tree with dozens of gifts waiting patiently for the next day. There was almost too much to take in, and honestly Maka knew she would get dizzy trying to do so.

"Okay, you two wait here! I'm going to get your father and grandmother and then we can just sit and chat!"

Evangeline dashed off immediately, leaving Soul and Maka to find a place in one of the many loveseats as they shrugged off their coats. Maka gave an overwhelmed sigh, making Soul chuckle.

"Yup. Exactly."

About a minute later, Evangeline returned with two people: a man with dark hair slicked back, and kind brown eyes. He adjusted his casual suit jacket and gave an easy smile to Maka. Next to him was an older woman with deep red eyes that were incredibly similar to Soul's. Her smile revealed sharp teeth like Soul's too, which let Maka understand where he inherited his most defining features.

"This is Soul's father, Sebastian, and his grandmother Amalia." Evangeline said cheerfully. Maka nodded and shook their hands with a smile.

"It's very good to meet you." Maka smiled. She reached down for her bag and pulled out the two boxes. "Before I forget, I got you presents for tomorrow."

"How kind of you." Soul's grandmother responded easily. She glanced at Soul, who felt his face heat up a bit before concentrating on the window. For the first time in a long time he wished his brother would come in to distract her. At that moment, he heard the front door open and a sigh of relief escaped his lips. But the eased tension was short-lived as Amalia took hold of Maka's hand and led her in a direction away from the group while they were distracted by Wes' entrance.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you." Amalia said as she wrapped her arm around Maka's. She guided the two of them to a staircase that led up to the roof and an enclosed greenroom. "I hope you don't mind spending a little time with me without everyone else."

Maka sensed such a warm feeling from her that she couldn't help but smile and nodded in agreement. Maka sat in a wicker sectional next to Amalia who simply continued to smile at her.

"You're so much prettier than Soul said. He did send me pictures, but they pale in comparison. I can tell that you're stubborn as well. In a good way. You have to be with anyone in this family, I'll tell you that much." Maka smiled proudly in response. "And I'm sure you're well aware how highly Soul speaks of you. He cares for you a great deal, which is why I was so excited to meet you. He never really took to people easily, so I was worried when he rushed off to a school so far away. But when he said he met someone who could help him and that she was talented, I knew he'd be fine."

"Thank you for having so much confidence in me. But to be honest, a lot of the time we kind of just brute force our way through situations."

"Well, I've learned that you can have all the plans in the world, but if you can't adapt, what's the point?" Amalia said with a wink. "I also assume you've been in many dangerous situations. So that ability is life or death."

Nervously, Maka nodded. She never liked to recount any of the times where Soul's life was actively in danger because of her recklessness. But with his grandmother, it made her feel like she was tiny. The guilt weighing on her was crushing to say the least. She felt Amalia's soft hand on her own and was met with a reassuring look.

"Don't worry. I know that's part of the job. There's no blame. You two are still alive after all this time, so you're obviously professional."

Maka released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She hadn't been expecting such a nice response about the subject. She was honestly expecting some kind of stern talking to at the very least. But when Amalia gave her such a gentle smile, it made everything seem alright.

"So, you hid her away up here huh?"

The two women looked up and found Soul smirking at the two of them. Amalia got up from her original spot and moved to a chair across the love seat. Soul easily took the spot that was emptied with Soul putting in arm around Maka. His grandmother smiled, though Maka was a bit surprised, as this was the most affectionate he'd been in front of his family.

"I'm very happy that you've found such a supportive partner, Soul." Amalia said quietly and gently. Soul felt his face heat up as he looked towards a particularly interesting flower.

"Well, I'm happy I found her too…" Soul replied shyly. He glanced at Maka, who had a light pink color that complimented her forest green eyes. Her smile was small, shy and so adorable. He turned his attention back to his grandmother.

"I... I wanted to tell you officially first, but we're d-dating… And I'm really happy." Soul said with a quiet nervousness. "I hope that you can accept that."

"Soul, we both know that even if I didn't, it wouldn't change anything. You're too stubborn. But you two seem wonderful together. You have a strong bond."

Maka smiled and rested her head on Soul's shoulder. A second later, Wes came up the stairs, catching the intimate moment. His face lit up, making Soul's face feel like it was on fire.

"Wes-"

"I knew it! I knew you two were dating!"

"Oh Wes, be quiet! You've ruined a perfectly good moment." Amalia said, getting up from her seat. She hurried Wes out of the room amidst his sputtering, and when the two of them were alone, Soul leaned his head back with a loud sigh. Suddenly he felt Maka's lips on his cheek, making all of the energy that had been sapped from him return to his body.

"Wha-"

"I thought that you saying that was pretty cool. I thought I'd just show my appreciation."

A nervous laugh escaped Soul's lips, not exactly fully recovered from the surprise kiss. She stood up and stretched. "So, I'm assuming that we're here for dinner and that will be awhile right?"

"Probably… Why?"

"I still haven't seen New York at Christmas yet. Maybe we can sneak out of here with the help of your grandmother?"

Soul nodded confidently and went to sneak his grandmother upstairs again, dodging any questions about the budding relationship between him and Maka from his overly excited mother. She followed him to the roof smuggling their coats up with her and smiled.

"Can you cover for us, Granny? We're going to go see the decorations."

His grandmother gave a single nod, and watched in awe as her grandson changed his form into a scythe, and was even more surprised as the scythe grew wings. Maka sat on the handle of the weapon and jumped up with the two of them fly off into the distance after waving.

When they reached an amazingly unpopulated area, Soul transformed back and took hold of Maka's hand. He smiled confidently.

"Okay, now that we're in Times Square, let's enjoy the scenery."

Maka nodded, looking around and taking note of how many people were wandering around on the street. She was almost overwhelmed by how many people were getting ready for the holiday, and held onto Soul's hand a little tighter.

"How do you even deal with this?"

"Don't worry: I gotcha. Plus there are a few places I want to show you. Hopefully we can stay out until night so we can see all the Christmas lights."

The two of them made their way around the different areas of the city, taking note of all of the decorations. Maka was amazed at how unbelievable the decorations were. Once one area got too overwhelming, they were able to fly to another area and start over again. The storefronts were decorated immaculately, and they even spent time watching people ice skate. Thankfully they were able to stay until the darkness fell, where the lights truly shined. Ending at Rockefeller Plaza, it almost felt like it was day again with all the lights. The famous Christmas Tree stood tall and bright, serenely looking upon all of the visitors. She looked at Soul and smiled.

"Thanks for bringing me here, Soul. Even though there are lots of people, it was fun."

"I'm glad you had a good time." Soul replied before looking at his phone, There was a single missed call from his grandmother which meant their time had run out. "It looks like we have to get back. You ready?"

The two returned to the penthouse, with Amalia waiting on the roof for them. She smiled as Soul returned to his human form and led them back downstairs to the large dining room. Evangeline smiled brightly and knowingly.

"Granny told us you two had fallen asleep up there! She made sure to not let us bother you! It does get very warm in there doesn't it? Sometimes I want to take a nap up there myself!"

Soul simply nodded before sitting at the table. With that, dinner began and quiet conversation was sprinkled throughout. Soul could tell that every once in a while, someone would try to start a conversation about his relationship with Maka, but with the way the words trailed out of their mouths into silence, he knew that his grandmother had shut them down.

After dinner, they only stayed for about an hour later. Wes made sure to bring the car to the front of the building, and promises of seeing each other the next day were made. As soon as they got home, Wes went straight to his room. Not long after the door was closed, snoring was heard from behind the door.

When he was sure that Wes was asleep, he motioned for Maka to follow him to his room. With confusion evident on her face, she sat on his bed while he dug through his luggage. When he found what he was looking for, he looked at the clock and saw that it was midnight.

"It's officially Christmas." Soul said nervously. "So, I wanted to give you your present when it was just the two of us, like normal. But this isn't really Christmas like normal, because it's our first Christmas together. And I wanted to get you something special but something that wouldn't get in the way so much."

Sitting next to her on the bed, he gave her a small white box. "It's nothing much, but I figured you'd like it."

Opening it, she found a delicate pair of stud earrings that looked like angel wings. She smiled as she took them out of the box. "They're so pretty, Soul. Thank you! Let me get you your gift."

Soul watched as Maka dashed out of the room, returning quickly with a small box of her own. "I think we were thinking along the same lines."

"Oh you got me earrings too?" Soul said with a smirk. He laughed when she rolled her eyes.

"Just open it."

Doing as he was told, he found a sterling silver ring with the keys of a piano surrounding the circumference. He took it out of the box and put it around his right middle finger.

"I figured it'd look good on you. Plus you could look cool when flipping people off."

"I really like this, Maka." Soul said, genuinely. "Thank you so much." He said as he looked up from his ring and gave her a smile. He put a hand on the side of her face before leaning down and pressing his lips softly against hers. He felt her smile against his lips, as she put her hand on top of his. A long moment later, he pulled away and gently placed his forehead against hers.

"Merry Christmas." Soul said quietly, reveling in the small world that they had created for themselves if only for a moment. She responded with a big smile, which made any extended holiday with his family better.

"Merry Christmas."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is Winter! I'm not gonna lie, I had to do a lot more research than I thought I would! But I hope you enjoy it! Sending love and support to those who want/need it! ~ La Vie Musicale


	3. Spring 春

Spring 春

“Okay, run over the whole thought process for me again.” Maka started as she stood beside the couch Soul was seated on, crossing her arms. Soul simply looked at her from his paused video game as she started talking. “You, Black Star and Patty were just talking and randomly, and decided that going out in the desert in the middle of March was an awesome idea. So you went down the rabbit hole, and the three of you found a house in the middle of the desert and booked it for four days without saying anything to anyone?”

“Yeah. It was a cool idea at the moment. But we were also a little drunk, so we kind of forgot. Then they emailed us to let us know they were looking forward to us using their house.”

“You three are INCREDIBLY lucky that everyone has a somewhat free schedule this week.” Maka sighed as she plopped herself on the couch next to Soul. “I’m guessing everyone is going to be there?”

Soul ran his fingers through his white hair, thinking for a moment. “I’m pretty sure Patty said that she got Kid and Liz to agree to it but they’ll be coming in late. Tsubaki and Black Star said they had a job and would be out of town for the first day of the trip, but will be there for the rest of our time there?”

“Well, I guess we get to check out the place before everyone else. That means we get the best room right?”

“Obviously. And the pictures of the house look pretty nice.”

Maka nodded and sighed. “Okay. I’m sure Papa will let us rent his car so we can take food and stuff.”

“You’re dad will be good without having a car for a week?”

Maka shrugged. “He’s gonna have to be. Because I’m finding a way to get that car. Make a list of the kind of food you want and we can go shopping tomorrow.” She got up from her seat, and started to make her way back to her room. Soul watched as his Meister walked off, admittedly happy that he would have a day alone with her before the rest of their group showed up. They had been pretty busy lately, so they really hadn’t had any time to spend with just each other. And while he loved Blair, she sometimes had the worst timing. Or maybe she walked in at just the right moments to catch something. 

Her father was another story. Soul was also pretty sure that Spirit had put the one-man campaign against him into overdrive after it came out that he was dating Maka officially. Spirit would behave himself whenever Maka was around, but when she was gone, he knew that if Spirit could kill him without getting caught it would have happened. And because Blair was so excited about their relationship, she happily shared any information she had with Spirit, which started the cycle anew. It made doing work pretty difficult, especially, when he was trying to train with him in order to be a proper Death Scythe. There was only so much he could do to ignore the passive aggressiveness that Soul had to deal with. He was almost jealous of the fact that Maka got to train with Stein. And when they weren’t training, Spirit was trying to find a way to intrude on them in one way or another.

So to say that he was looking forward to some alone time with Maka, away from training, work, parents, and talking cats, was an understatement. Granted it could have been planned better, but she didn’t seem like she was completely upset with him, so he’d take it as a win. 

A few days later, Soul and Maka were driving through the desert, windows down as they enjoyed the strong breeze from the speed of the car. Maka noted how much it looked like the desert she had seen on TV. And even though it was Spring, it felt like early Summer.

“I can’t believe Spirit gave you the car.” Soul said as he turned his attention from the empty road to Maka. She shrugged with a sly smile.

“I told you that I’d get it. The one thing he said was to not let you drive. But… You’re so good at it.” She ended with a dramatic flair in her voice.

Soul returned his focus to the road and chuckled. “He’s gonna kill me if he finds out.”

“He’d have to find out though. And I don’t know about you, but I’m not telling.”

“Oh, I like you, Albarn.”

After a long drive, the two pulled through a dirt driveway, coming upon a decent sized house, with the most defining feature being a large bay window. They parked and Maka got out, stretching loudly. She looked around to the horizon and found that they were surrounded by desert wildflowers of different colors, which surprised her. How someone had managed to find a way to maintain a house all the way out in the desert was beyond her, but she had to admit that she was happy someone took the ambition to do so. 

“Hey, I found the key.” Soul called from the house. Maka walked over to the front door as her partner opened it and found a nicely sized living room with a leather couch and an easy chair facing a mounted TV on the wall to the right of them. There was also a small hallway Soul explored which she assumed was where the rooms were.

Branching off the living room to the left was the kitchen, which was larger than the outside of the house would indicate. Maka wandered over to the kitchen, finding the large bay window she saw outside. She leaned on the island that was in the middle of the room, mesmerised by the mountains in the horizon. 

“Hey, Maka. I think I scoped out a nice room for us. I figured we could take the room with the one bed and everyone else could fight over the other ones.”

Maka nodded before turning her attention to Soul. “I know you didn’t think this completely through, but you did good. I really like it here.” She watched as he made his way closer to her. He brushed some hair out of her forest green eyes before she wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt him put his arms around her shoulders.

“I’m glad. I gotta be honest, I was looking forward to the first day. Since we’d be able to spend some alone time together.”

“That’s sweet.” Maka smiled. “Now let’s stop being mushy. We have stuff that needs to get into the fridge.”

About twenty minutes later, everything was transferred from the car to the house, with Soul exploring the rest of the house as Maka looked at their bedroom. He looked and saw random still life photographs on the walls. On the wall opposite of the front door was a backdoor which led to a large deck, decorated with an outdoor table that sat maybe four people, a loveseat, and a telescope. One thing he had forgotten about the desert was how bright the stars would be at night. He took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air that the city really couldn’t give him and released it with contentment. It had been a long time since he had been away from a city, and even though it would only be for a short amount of time, he was looking forward to it.

“Oh cool. The owner has a telescope.” Soul mused before feeling eyes on him. He turned to see his Meister smiling at him. 

“You sure know how to pick good rooms, Soul. We probably got the best view.”

“You can’t doubt my amazing skills. By the way, I was wondering if you’d want to look at the stars with me tonight…?” Soul asked, ending the question a little shyly. She felt her face warm up a little as the butterflies appeared in her stomach. It was such a weird feeling, and she was never prepared when it happened. Whenever Soul did cute little gestures, it would just go straight to her heart. She nodded happily, before taking his hand.

“Let’s eat dinner out here.”

The night came pretty quickly, which excited Soul. He hadn’t realized how much he was looking forward to his vacation, but he realized this was his first trip away with Maka by themselves since they were a couple. It felt different, even though he knew it would be short lived. He brought out two plates of pizza to a waiting Maka, who was wrapped up in a blanket. She opened up her blanket cocoon so that she could take her plate and Soul could enter. When they were comfortable, she leaned on him and sighed contentedly. 

“It’s so quiet out here. I don’t think I’ve ever heard so much of nothing.” Soul said as he took a bite of his pizza. He felt Maka nod on his shoulder.

“The sky is really clear too. I never knew the stars could be so bright. It’s pretty amazing. We should have done this forever ago.”

Soul nodded and continued to look up at the sky. This was what he was hoping for. A quiet evening, with one of the most important people in his life, alone. No loud people yelling in the background, or a parent banging on the door to intrude. Just him and Maka, enjoying each other’s company and watching the stars. They finished their pizza and had quiet conversations for the next couple of hours, comfortable on the chilly spring night. 

After a lull in the conversation and multiple yawns filling the quiet space, the two decided that the best decision would be to go to bed. As Soul felt Maka cuddle up next to him in their shared bed, he couldn’t help but regret the fact that the next day would bring a type of chaos he wasn’t ready to face quite yet.

Soul and Maka were woken up by a loud knock and yelling at the door. Quickly, Soul grabbed the clock that was on the nightstand next to their bed which read 10:46. The distinctly familiar voice of Black Star rang through the house, even though he knew he wasn’t inside. He heard his Meister groan next to him, slightly surprised that she wasn’t up already, but empathizing with her. 

As quickly as he could, he rolled out of the bed and rushed to the front door finding a smug Black Star waiting.

“Finally! I’m surprised you guys didn’t get to the door earlier!”

“Sorry. We were still sleeping.” Soul said, noticing through tired eyes a few large bags on his person. He also noticed that Tsubaki was much more modestly packed, with backpack straps on her windbreaker covered shoulders. “How long are you staying here, dude?”

“Dude, I don’t remember much, but I DO remember the sick TV set up! I brought some video games to play! I haven’t had an ACTUAL vacation since last year! So, I figured we could spend the day gaming in person instead of gaming online!” Black Star said as he waddled in balancing his multiple bags. Soul smirked, excited by the prospect. 

“So you want to LOSE in person, is that it?”

“Oh, those are fighting words, dude. I hope you’re prepared to be humiliated…”

“Sorry to break up your bonding, but is Maka still asleep?” Tsubaki questioned. Soul nodded, looking towards the hallway where the bedrooms were located.

“Well, you caught us before we actually got up. I’ll go get her.”

Soul left Black Star and Tsubaki to find Maka stretching on the edge of their temporary bed. She stood up with a yawn while looking at the clock on the nightstand.

“I can’t believe I overslept.”

Soul gave a slight shrug with a yawn. “You’re on vacation. Don’t overthink it. Black Star and Tsubaki are here. Do you want breakfast?”

Maka nodded and sighed. “Why is he so loud first thing in the morning? At least I’ll actually get to hear what Black Star yells at you during your gaming sessions. Your comebacks never make sense.”

Soul took Maka's hand as they made their way out of their room. “Trust me, they’re always much better in context.” As they made their way to the kitchen, they found that while the other team was no longer in the living room, they could still hear them. Black Star loudly exclaimed that they had the biggest room and were able to get separate beds to his amazement. They came out later and found the couple looking in the fridge.

"Morning Maka! Since when do you sleep in?"

Maka shrugged as she pulled out some orange juice from the refrigerator. "I dunno, but for your own good you won't tell anyone." Soul and Tsubaki looked at each other, both recognizing the venom in her voice even if it was thick with sleep.

"Share your breakfast and your secret's safe with me." 

Maka nodded and found a cup to pour a cup of her juice, while Soul pulled out frozen pancakes.

"So Maka. You wanna explore the desert with me?" Tsubaki said leaning on the kitchen island. "I've only seen a desert on TV so I'm curious.”

“Sure, that sounds like a good plan. It’s supposed to be nice out anyways.”

Maka looked at Soul, who simply put the frozen pancakes in the microwave before finding a box of cereal. If she were being honest, while she was happy to see her friends, she was kind of hoping for a little more time with Soul. With how busy they had been recently, they really hadn’t been able to spend any time together, and she had really enjoyed the previous day. Soul caught her looking at him and gave a small smile before finding a bowl.

That smile made her yearn for alone time with him even more. 

After breakfast, the two groups separated, with Black Star focused on setting up the game system while Soul saw the two women off before their exploration. Maka watched as Tsubaki excitedly looked at the environment around them. She hadn’t realized how excited her friend was to see the desert, and how she kept mentioning all of the things she had looked up that they could do while they were out on vacation. 

“I tried to get Black Star to explore with me on our way here,” Tsubaki started as she readjusted her small backpack, “but he was so focused on getting to the house so he could play with Soul.”

Maka smiled. “Then, we can play without them. Send me that list and we’ll find the best thing to do.”

Tsubaki smiled wildly, making Maka laugh at her enthusiasm. She had to remember that this was her vacation too. And by the looks at it, Tsubaki was really looking forward to it.

They stayed out for about an hour longer before turning around to go back to the house. Upon opening the door, the two were met by the loud laugh of Patty as she sat in front of the television with a controller playing against Black Star.

“Dude, Black Star.” Soul said with the tone of a disappointed parent. “I told you, you suck at this game. Kid doesn’t even play video games and he won against you.”

“Soul, shut up! I’m trying to concentrate and your voice is annoying!”

Maka looked around and found Liz rummaging through the fridge and Kid nowhere in sight, which gave her an idea. She snuck up behind Liz, surprising her and almost making her drop her beer. Liz turned around ready to fight before finding an amused Maka and Tsubaki.

“Finally, you guys are back! It’s been nothing but a loudhouse since I’ve gotten here. You couldn’t have waited for me and Patty before you went out??”

“Well, we didn’t know you were going to be here so early.” Tsubaki replied. Maka nodded in agreement.

“Soul said you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow.”

“Well, Patty really wanted to get here early so she used her special powers of persuasion. She was getting to the point that even Lord Death was getting tired of it, so he sent us off early.” Liz said with a confident laugh. “Never underestimate Patty. Anyways, I know you just came back, but do you want to go out on drive? We brought the convertible, so we could go out and pretend we’re two sets of Thelma and Louise. Minus running from the law, of course.”

“Yes!” Tsubaki answered quickly. “Let me just get my camera ready and we can go out!”

Maka laughed as she watched her rush to her room. She hadn't realized how excited Tsubaki was about the trip. It sounded like she was frantically trying to find something in her room. She also heard some kind of noise coming from the last available room.

“What’s up with Kid?”

“Who knows? He said something about the room, symmetry and took all our bags there to arrange the room. I figured I’d deal with it later because it had been too long of a drive. I love him but he makes me tired...” Liz said with a sigh before facing towards the TV. “Patty, you’re going to have to drive. You down?”

Patty threw the controller at Soul mid fight and rushed over to the two of them to grab the keys off the island. “As long as no one backseat drives, I can take us anywhere you want to go.” She replied, determination heavy in her voice. 

Maka chuckled before walking over to the TV and standing next to Soul where an intense match was playing out before her eyes. If she were being honest, she could see what was so enticing about the game. The bright colors, loud sounds and frankly amazing finishing moves were enough to get anyone interested in it. Soul looked up quickly at his Meister and smirked.

“You should try it, Maka.”

“Maybe later. We’re about to go out on a drive.”

“What? But you just got back.” Soul replied. Maka could swear that she heard disappointment playing in his voice, and she’d be lying if she didn’t feel bad. But she could also tell that Black Star needed his time with Soul too. And while she wanted to be selfish and completely monopolize Soul's time, she knew she wouldn't feel right.

“We won’t be gone long. We’re just going to go sightseeing. Maybe cause a little trouble.”

Tsubaki returned with a camera around her neck and an excited smile, just in time for Liz to finish her beer. “Alright ladies!” Liz announced. “Let’s get this show on the road!” Maka lightly touched Soul’s shoulder to say goodbye and they piled into the black convertible, Patty revving the car up with enthusiasm.

"So," Liz announced, "apparently there's a driving tour called Artists Drive or something? It looked pretty nice so let's head there. I have the directions pulled up and ready to go."

The group of women made their way to the tourist destination, making sure the top was down so the cool air blew through their hair. It was pretty liberating, Maka had to admit. Finally, they made their way to the driving destination, with Maka taking out her phone to take pictures.

“So, Maka,” Liz started, “how are you and Soul doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you two weren’t being lovey-dovey or anything! I came on this trip with the promise of cute couple things and I’ve yet to see anything! It was just Soul playing video games!”

“To be fair, you weren’t there for a very long time.” Tsubaki laughed. “But, I want to know too!”

“Really Tsubaki? I thought you were here for the sights.” Maka replied as she hid her reactions by taking pictures. 

“It just so happens that some of the sights are you and Soul!”

She could feel the butterflies in her stomach and her face start to get warm, even in the Spring weather. This was the first time she had really been probed about her relationship with Soul. While she had told them that they were in a relationship, everyone was so busy that she never had to answer any in-depth questions. But now she was trapped, and she had a funny feeling Liz had planned it that way. She felt like a teenager talking about her crush, and while she wished she could be the type that just gushed on and on, doing so was just weird for her.

“I mean... It’s going well, I guess…” Maka said shyly. “I don’t know what you want me to say about it.” She finished off with a nervous laugh.

“The relationship has changed, right? You’re not just friends anymore right?”

“Sissy, they’re in the room with the one bed.” Patty plainly replied. 

“What?” Liz responded, her eyes wide with shock. “Your room only has one bed?!”

“Yeah.” Maka laughed nervously. “We figured you guys would want your own beds on vacation. Plus, we liked our room the best, so we figured we’d take the room-”

“That only has one bed?” Liz asked suggestively. “Interesting…”

“Oh, don’t do that Liz.” Tsubaki laughed. “Back on topic! What is your relationship like now?”

Maka completely gave up on trying to take pictures and turned her attention to the rest of the people in the car. “I dunno… I guess the best way to explain it is… that we’ve moved on to the next step of best friends?”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, since we already know each other so well, it didn’t feel incredibly weird when we started dating. I mean, it still felt weird, but it kind of just felt like the natural next step. The most awkward part was probably telling people we were together. There are some times when he makes my heart race, I guess. But I think this is the best kind of relationship for me. I couldn’t handle those kinds of whirlwind relationships where everything happens in the span of like three months…”

Liz nodded. “I guess that makes sense. That doesn’t change the fact that I want to see you guys be cute and cuddle or something!”

“Yeah!” Patty cried from the driver’s seat. “I mean, we’ve been waiting for this to happen for years now! You gotta give us the payoff!”

“I’ll see what I can do. Now can we please get back to the sight-seeing?”

After the drive, they women returned to the house noting that the sun was lower in the horizon, still happily laughing. They entered the house and found Kid and Black Star now playing video games, with Soul eagerly looking up from his seat. “You’re back. How was the drive?”

“It was pretty good. I didn’t realize the desert could be so good looking.” Maka smiled. “You guys are still playing video games?”

“Well, we did switch it up.” Soul replied, going to his Meister’s side as the other women went to their rooms. “Black Star has been losing all day.”

“Shut up! I have not!”

“And now he’s whining about it. So, I was going to start making a taco bar for everyone. Do you wanna help?” Soul asked expectantly. She knew that tone and was honestly hoping that she could help him. After a nice day apart from each other, she kind of just wanted to hang out with him, even if it was just making dinner for their friends. 

“Yeah. Give me a sec and I’ll be right back.” Maka said as she started towards their room. She returned to see Soul’s sleeves rolled up as he took out the ingredients from the fridge and bags that were on the kitchen island. 

“I’ll make the taco filling, you dish up the toppings and we’ll be done in 15. Got it, Albarn?”

"Just don't drop the ball." Maka replied as she went to organize the toppings. Soul watched as Maka found different containers to separate them into while he started mixing the ingredients. It almost felt like they were back at home, making dinner for themselves. It was like they were in their own world. It was a welcome comfortability. 

Maka cleaned off the island and organized the toppings in their own containers. She had to admit they were haphazardly arranged and could think of one person that would be upset with the set-up. "Kid's going to come in and change the way this looks…" She muttered. 

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. It looks good to me." Soul replied after quickly looking at the island set up. “Can you get me something to put this in?” He watched as his Meister found a plastic container and poured the contents in the pan out and placed it on the island along with the rest of the food.

“Looks good, Albarn.” Soul smirked. “I guess we make a good team after all.” 

“As if that were even a question.” Maka replied, feeling her face scrunch up. She was placated when she felt Soul wrap an arm around her and pulled her closer to himself. He smiled at her, his razor sharp teeth on display which made her forgive him immediately. She wrapped her arms around his waist as he played with her blonde hair.

“Thank you for helping me make dinner.” Soul said quietly.

“I didn’t really help much. All I did was set the things out.”

“Yeah. But I just wanted to spend some time with you. This was just my excuse to do that.” Soul said playfully. “Plus you were out all day, so I haven’t seen you since this morning.”

“Oh, so you missed me too?” Maka responded before letting him go. “Well, how about we have a date on the deck tonight?”

“You grab the blanket and I’ll make the tacos.”

Maka nodded and made her way to the deck, grabbing a blanket on the way. Soul made a point to make the dinner for the two of them before announcing that the tacos were ready. Slipping out while everyone fussed over their food, Soul snuck outside to find Maka waiting in the blanket watching the sun set in the distance. He watched as it was slowly dipping in the horizon, it’s eyes looking as though it was struggling to stay awake. Plates in hand, he found his place next to Maka, who wrapped part of the blanket around him before taking her plate.

“So this is a desert sunset huh?” Soul said settling into his place next to Maka. “This is pretty cool.” His Meister made a noise of agreement before leaning on his shoulder causing his face to warm and his mouth to form into a smile. A passive excitement was coursing through his body as they sat in silence, eating tacos. He heard the chaos reigning in the house about movies versus video games, but figured that was another world that he currently wasn’t a part of. Right now, the only things worth focusing on were Maka, his taco, and the scenery.

"So, what's the verdict?" Soul asked after finishing his tacos. "Are we coming back here again?"

"By ourselves next time." Maka replied definitively. She felt Soul's hand on her waist drawing her closer under the blanket, and smiled at the butterflies in her stomach. The fear of anyone coming out and ruining their date started to disappear with each passing moment, until all that mattered was them. 

Before she realized, she was waking up to the sun rising in the distance. Maka yawned loudly and heard her partner lightly snoring next to her. He looked so peaceful and goofy and she fought with the idea of going back to sleep next to him. But after she returned her gaze to the beautiful reds, oranges and pinks in the sky, she knew that she couldn’t keep it to herself. She gently nudged Soul awake, and he gave a deep breath as he blinked awake.

“Hey. Did we sleep out here?” He said, rubbing his eyes roughly with confusion strong in his voice.

Maka laughed. “Yeah. But look.” She said gesturing towards the horizon. “This is what we get to wake up to.”

Soul blinked a few more times to let his eyes adjust to the new scenery. He had to admit though, that was a scene that couldn’t be beat. It was something he hadn’t experienced in awhile, and to be able to be with Maka during it was something he never really thought would happen. He kissed her on the top of her head, and she felt him smile against her. He never thought he would get to a point where he would rather spend the day wrapped in a blanket with his partner like those sappy commercials with the old people. But here he was, wanting nothing more than to completely ignore the rest of the world just to spend time with Maka.

Eventually, they were discovered by Kid reminding them that they were supposed to be ready for the hike that he had scheduled for the group. They both stretched and stood up, bidding their couch goodbye, with Soul taking hold of Maka's hand.

Liz's eyes widened with surprise as she saw the couple walk back into the house, noticing that Maka was holding a blanket, wearing the same clothes as the day before. She remembered being the last one to go to bed the previous night, and they hadn’t come in yet, but she assumed they were just waiting for everyone else to go back to bed. 

“You guys fell asleep out there? Wasn’t it cold?”

Soul shrugged as he yawned. “I don’t remember falling asleep so I guess so? We didn’t wake up until about half an hour ago…” He didn’t bother to elaborate as he led Maka back to their room, leaving Liz slightly confused as she went for her morning cup of coffee.

Maka watched as Soul plopped on the bed after they reached the room, making her roll her eyes. “Soul, you can’t go back to sleep. We’re going on a hike in like fifteen minutes.”

Soul groaned and covered his eyes with his arm, trying to block out the sun rays that were pouring into their room. “I can be up in ten minutes…” Maka didn’t respond, but he heard her unzip her bag and rummage through her belongings. Realizing he honestly had no choice in the matter, he sighed loudly and rolled out of the bed to do the same thing. Maybe he and Maka could stay in the back of the group and just take in the sights together. That would be nice. And then afterwards they could take a long nap together. Granted, he’d be taking a long nap after regardless of what she decided.

The two were able to find available showers and were able to get ready pretty quickly, much to Kid’s pleasure. When they finally got there, Soul had to admit that he was zoned out as Kid gave some kind of explanation of the area. And while the environment was interesting, he wanted to go ahead and get started so he could get back to take a nap. He felt someone bump into his shoulder through his daze and found Black Star with a large smile.

“You look exhausted, man! Didn’t get a lot of sleep huh?” He asked suggestively, his blue eyebrows wiggling up and down. Soul felt his face heat up as his crimson eyes widened at the realization.

“Don’t be gross, dude… We just fell asleep on the couch outside, that’s all. Plus I woke up early for the sunrise.”

“You stayed out there all night? And since when do you wake up early?”

“It doesn’t happen all the time. Today was just… special.” Soul replied, glancing at Maka who was deep in a conversation with Tsubaki. Black Star noticed, but didn’t say anything in response. He had always known Soul and Maka had a type of bond that he couldn’t really begin to understand. He noticed the little ways they cared for each other, even though Soul would always play it off as something a weapon would easily do for his Meister. But even watching the way he looked at her, he knew it wasn’t that simple.

“Yeah, well, I hope you enjoyed it! I don’t know when that’ll happen again. Sometimes you can’t get up for shit!”

“Dude, shut up. Like you can talk. You’re constantly late for work…”

Black Star rolled his eyes as they started on their hike, following Kid who confidently kept them on their path. Soul watched as the dry desert started transforming before his eyes, with different vegetation becoming more apparent along the path. He watched as Tsubaki enthusiastically took pictures of different animals that Patty and Maka found, and he was even surprised at how lush the path was becoming as greenery seemed to sprout up out of nowhere. He almost forgot that it was set in a desert. At the end of their hike, he was astonished that there was a small waterfall at the end of the trail. The pool of water in front of them was a beautiful teal color, with a nice amount of shade. 

“What the hell, Kid? What’s a waterfall doing in the desert?”

“Well, a nice surprise every now and then is good to have.” Kid smiled. “While we can’t exactly enjoy the water physically, we can still admire its beauty.”

Soul would be lying if he said it wasn’t an amazing ending to a long hike. To think there would be something like this in a desert where earlier today he was looking at dried out scenery decorated with dusty rocks as far as he could see. He looked around at everyone, and noticed his partner finding a place to sit and watching the water serenely. He walked over and sat on the ground next to her.

“So this is pretty cool, huh?”

“I was hoping you’d like it.” Maka replied quietly, a soft smile appearing on her face. Soul tilted his head in confusion to the comment, making Maka giggle. “I looked up the trail right before we got here. I was curious. But it’s still not the same as seeing it in person.”

“I bet…” Soul replied quietly. “We’re gonna have to come back here when we visit again.” He watched as Maka nodded again as she continued to watch the waterfall pool below. If he thought about it, even though there had been one or two hiccups, this was a really good vacation. He was able to spend time with his friends, yes, but he was also able to reconnect with his partner, which all in all made the trip worth it. He reached over and intertwined his fingers with Maka, who smiled at him.

After about a half hour, the group decided that it was time to go back the way they came and returned to the house. The rest of the day passed by with an air of relaxation until night when everyone decided that they would end the day with stargazing. While watching everyone play with the telescope away from the group, Soul leaned over to Maka.

“So, was this a good trip?”

“Probably one of the best I’ve ever been on.” Maka replied. 

“And you’ll go on another one with me?”

“I guess.” Maka shrugged playfully. “I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.”

Soul put an arm around Maka and pulled her closer. “Oh, I’ll make sure it’s a cool trip. And it’ll be sooner so you better be ready.”

Maka smiled as they continued to watch their friends play with the telescope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a little harder to write as it took me the longest to do. But I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Only one left! Stay safe and sending you love and positivity!


	4. Summer 夏

Summer 夏

Soul leaned back on head of his bed, enjoying the cool air provided by his air conditioning. This was the first time in a few months where they were able to relax somewhat. He and Maka had gotten some vacation days for the beginning of June, though they hadn’t figured out anything to do. While it was Friday night at the moment, they had the next week off to not think about missions, training, or teaching classes. But he also wasn’t looking forward to just wandering around their apartment for a week. Before he could find music on his phone to listen to, he heard the door to the room he shared with Maka open. His crimson eyes looked up to meet his Meister’s forest green eyes as she walked over to sit next to him on the bed.

“So, do you know what you want to do for our time off?” Maka asked as she sat down next to him, flipping a blonde pigtail over her shoulder. The tone of her voice seemed like she had thought of something, which made him wary of what it was.

“No, but I have a feeling you want to do something.”

“Well…” Maka started, smiling as she faced him a little more. “Why don’t we go camping?” She watched as Soul ran his hand through his snow white hair nervously, and she raised her eyebrows. “Oh come on! It’ll be fun!”

“I just don’t want to be hot, sweaty and covered in bugs. And last time I went camping with Wes, he was super unprepared and the tent collapsed on us in the middle of the night because it started raining and he didn’t bother to check the weather.”

Maka laughed as she leaned back in her hands. “Well, that’s your first problem; you went with someone who didn’t know what they were doing. And wouldn’t it be great to make s’mores on a campfire instead of in the microwave?”

“Okay, counter offer: we go and rent a hotel room out on the other side of the city.” He watched as Maka’s eyes narrowed as the gears in her mind started turning.

"Compromise: one night camping and then a hotel for one night." Maka finished as she held out her hand for a handshake. Soul firmly took it before pulling her on top of him for an embrace.

"So you know what you're doing?" Soul asked carefully. He felt her nod against his chest.

“We used to go camping all the time. Plus, last year Tsubaki and I went camping for a few days, remember? We came back alive so it’ll be fine.”

Soul sighed deeply. He knew he was going to go with the plan no matter how much he vocally complained. Embarrassingly, he was already imagining looking at the stars next to Maka through a tent with a skylight. He could even hear the sounds of nature surrounding them as they quietly shared conversations with each other. “What do we need to get?”

“Well, most importantly we need a tent, but I’m sure I can borrow Tsubaki and Black Star’s. And I’m pretty sure we already have some sleeping bags. And we can get some stuff to get a fire started. Then food and water! It’ll be super fun!”

“Okay. Then how about this? We surprise each other with our ideas.” Soul suggested, running one of his hands up and down her back as his other pushed her hair out of her face. “You get all of the camping stuff and surprise me with that. And I’ll surprise you with a hotel trip and everything that comes with it.”

“Deal. Wednesday we’re going camping and Thursday we’re going to a hotel.” Maka said as she sat up, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “I’m pretty sure I can find a good deal and-”

“Hey, I’m excited to start planning this too. But just for the moment, can we relax here? I feel like I haven’t seen you all day.”

Soul watched as Maka turned a pretty dusted pink, and he couldn’t tell what the embarrassment was from. All he knew was that he thought it was cute. She made her way back into his waiting arms, where he wrapped her up before starting a new conversation.

Wednesday arrived quicker than they realized, and Maka had managed to rent out a vehicle that would accommodate all of the items that she wanted to bring. Soul remembered being astonished at how big the tent was when she brought it home. Seeing the big green monstrosity as she carried it in made him almost nervous at the set up process. Then Tsubaki followed with a couple bags filled with camping supplies Maka had designated important, which made him have flashbacks of the time when Wes bought the most expensive tent, but couldn’t set it up because he had accidentally thrown away the instructions. Even as Maka drove to the campground, Soul looked nervously in the back seat where the tent seemed to sneer at him.

“Don’t be so nervous about a tent.” 

“Hey, I’m not nervous. Just concerned. Also, it’s pretty hot out here.” Soul said, looking at his phone that read a temperature of close to 90 degrees. “Are we going to be okay?” He felt as Maka comfortingly grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze before returning it to the steering wheel.

“Trust me, I’ve got your back. And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you have at least a decent time.”

“Okay. Fine, I trust you, Albarn. But if this goes sideways, I’m never gonna let you live it down.” Soul teased. Maka could swear she heard the smirk in his voice, which was both annoying and adorable. But if she could overwrite the one bad camping experience, it’d be a win for her.

The two made their way to their assigned plot and parked their car where Soul was surprised to see that there weren’t as many people setting up as he thought there would be. As he looked around, he saw that there were RV’s that were sporadically parked, which he had honestly never been close enough to examine. In the distance, he was able to see a body of water and wondered if there was a hiking trail that led to it. He wasn’t all that interested in the trail to be honest, but at least the view was beautiful. 

“So, where do we start?”

Maka turned off the car and looked at Soul. “We can start with the tent I guess.”

“I noticed that you also snuck out a cooler.” Soul stated, as he glanced at the space behind the driver’s seat. “What’s in it?” He turned his attention back to his partner and watched as Maka slyly returned his gaze.

“It’s a surprise. But you’ll like it, I promise. Let’s get the tent set up!”

Soul watched as Maka swiftly got out of the car and smoothly moved towards pulling out the tent from the back seat. Soul took a deep breath and helped his Meister drag the folded tent to the flattest part of the campsite, in front of the fire pit. Soul watched as Maka demonstrated how to set up the tent so that it would be stable and worked on one side while she worked on the other side. Finally, the tent was standing freely, with Soul more than surprised by the result.

“It’s actually standing…” Soul said quietly, watching the tent carefully. Maka laughed and put a hand on his shoulder.

“I told you. You’re with someone who knows what they’re doing. Take a look inside. Tell me what you think.”

Soul tentatively went inside the tent and was surprised at how big it was on the inside. It definitely could house more than just two people, but that just meant that they would have more space for their stuff. Maka returned with a sleeping bag in each hand. She tossed one to him and laughed when he floundered to catch it.

“Pick the spot you want.”

Soul quickly rolled out his sleeping bag and watched as Maka did the same. “Okay, so now what?”

Maka looked at her watch, which read 4:30. “We should start a fire before it gets too late. I brought some pretty big lanterns just in case too. We can start making dinner once the fire’s good.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s for dinner?”

“We’re having campfire pizza. I brought some pizza dough, sauce, cheese and even peperoni. I brought soda too and an extra surprise too.”

“Well, I’m excited now. Let’s get this fire started.”

The two got their equipment and started on their respective jobs, with Soul separating the ingredients and Maka starting on the fire and setting up the fire grill. Soul watched as Maka took out a pan, and prepped it for dinner. She turned to Soul and smiled. 

“Well, you look like you’re excited. Have I started to change your mind a little?”

“Don’t think too hard about it, Albarn. It’s going to take a lot more than pizza to change my mind. But it does help.” Soul said, grabbing the pizza dough for Maka. He felt like a kid, watching with a sort of hypnosis, as each step of the recipe was more enthralling than thel last. He was so mesmerised that he didn’t even realize that Maka was done with the first pizza.

“Wait, you’re done already?”

“We can’t really make huge pizzas with this, so personal pan is how we go. Here, you can make yours. I trust you not to burn it too much.”

“Yeah, yeah. I can make a pizza.”

Half an hour later, the Soul clumsily finished cooking his pizza. He’d be lying if he said that he didn’t feel a swell of pride in his stomach at cooking over a campfire. His face didn’t go unnoticed by Maka who lightly bumped him.

“See? This is fun, right?”

“I’ll wait on making a definitive statement, but so far, I’m having a good time.”

Maka rolled her eyes as she watched Soul put his pizza on a paper plate to cool. “Look, you may be stubborn, but I can crack you.”

“Oh yeah?”

Maka nodded. “Like a walnut.”

Soul watched as she stood up to place the lanterns around them as the sun continued to laugh in the sky. He looked at her quizzically before she sat down next to him again. “I just want to have them there for when it becomes dark."

They finished their pizza just in time for the sky to turn to dusk, giving Maka the chance to try out the lanterns. The brightness surprised Soul, but better safe than sorry he supposed.

"So, what else do we have planned?"

"Well, since it's getting dark, I figured we could make some s'mores and-"

"Tell scary stories?"

“Do you really think that I can make a story scary enough for you? We’ve lived through some pretty terrible things already…”

Soul leaned back on the palms of his hands while looking at the sky that was a blend of orange, purple and dark blue. “You’re creative. I’m sure you can make something up. Or remember something from one of those books you’re always reading?”

“Maybe next time I’ll have something ready for you.” Maka said as she sat with her legs tucked under her arms. “But the only way you’ll hear it is if you come on another camping trip with me.”

“Oh yeah? When did you get so good at extortion?”

“A lot of practice with my father. You’ve seen it close up before, so you know.”

Soul chuckled as he watched Maka reach for the cooler they had brought along with them. She took out what looked like long wooden sticks, along with marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers.

“You were serious about the s’mores?”

“Of course I was serious about the s’mores. If you haven’t had s’mores while you were camping, then how can you say you’ve gone camping, huh?” Maka said slyly as she opened the bag of jumbo sized marshmallows and stuck two on two separate sticks. “Now do me a favor and hold these for a sec. I’m gonna make sure your first traditional s’more is perfect.”

Soul watched as Maka meticulously stacked a dark chocolate square on top of a graham cracker square and held another square in her other hand. She gestured towards Soul to hold one of the marshmallow sticks in the now open fire, which he did until a corner of the marshmallow started charring. 

“Hurry hurry! Put it here!” Maka excitedly said as she held out the chocolate covered graham cracker. Hurriedly, he did as he was told and watched as Maka squished the marshmallow in the sugar sandwich, making something Soul was actually somewhat familiar with. 

“Is that mine?”

Maka laughed. “You’re the one that likes dark chocolate. Here, trade me.”

Gently, Soul took the s’more from Maka’s hand holding it in between his forefinger and thumb as Maka took the remaining marshmallow on a stick. She watched as he took a careful bite of the treat, and got excited when she saw his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. 

“This is pretty good!”

“Yes! I knew you’d like it!” Maka said as she set up another s’more for herself. “They’re good in a microwave but amazing over a campfire. So, now you’ll definitely come out here again right?”

“Maybe. I’m having a better time than I thought I would. But it is hot out here, I’m not gonna lie. How are we going to get around that, Survivalist Maka?”

Maka scrunched her face up at the word ‘survivalist’. “Don’t call me that. I’m not like that guy on TV. I brought some battery powered fans, so we should be good. I think…”

“Oh yeah? Then I guess I won’t have a huge problem.” Soul said as he took another bite from his s’more. He watched as Maka delicately made one for herself and saw her eyes light up as she took a bite. He honestly never would have thought that he would ever go camping again. Maka had a way of making him try things he wouldn’t ordinarily do. Looking at the sky, he noticed how the sun had been replaced by the moon’s face as it looked down on the two of them. He hadn’t even realized how the night had completely taken over, even though he recognized that the fire in front of them had gotten brighter. 

“Want another one?” Maka questioned, breaking him out of his trance. Soul simply nodded as he stuck another marshmallow on the stick he had kept. A few more s’mores later, and Maka took the lanterns into the tent and turned on the fans after packing up their food and equipment, while Soul made sure to put out the fire. He crawled in after her, and plopped on top of his sleeping bag next to her.

"I have one more surprise for you."

"Really? It's gonna be hard to top such a good camping trip."

"Oh trust me: it gets better." Maka said, standing up to reach towards the roof of the tent. Soul heard a zip happen, and a black mesh roof was revealed. It was just like he imagined it would be, except the fact that there weren’t that many visible stars. Maka turned off the lanterns, but there was still enough light from the moon so that she could find her way back to her sleeping bag.

"This will keep us cooler and we can look at the sky. And I checked: no rain tonight."

"You're so prepared." Soul smirked as he watched Maka return to her sleeping bag. "You sure you're not a survivalist?"

"Oh, shut up."

Soul just responded by drawing her closer to him as they relaxed into each other. Maka turned her head and looked at him. “So what do you think? Was this a good trip?”

“It was a good trip.” Soul confirmed. “You changed my mind about camping. I hope you’re happy.”

“Oh, I’m so happy. That means we’ll have to find an actual tent for ourselves right.”

Soul shrugged. “Maybe. Give me a few more times camping before I completely commit on getting a tent together.”

“Yes, because we can’t just jump into getting a tent together. That’s a huge step in our relationship.”

Soul chuckled. “And this is why we’re together. You just get me.”

“Trust me, it took some time.” Maka replied sarcastically before kissing Soul on the cheek. “But it was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made.”

“I feel like you’re just trying to butter me up so I’ll go camping with you again.” Soul said, disregarding the butterflies that had appeared in his stomach. The ones that always appeared whenever he and Maka had a moment. The ones that appeared whenever he looked at her for too long. 

“Oh, no. You’re learning. I’m going to have to change up my strategy.” Maka giggled, with sleepiness playing heavily in her voice. She had a long day, Soul mentally noted, all for his sake. 

“I hope you know how much I appreciate this.” Soul whispered as he turned to Maka and wrapped an arm around her waist. “You’re pretty awesome.”

“It’s about time you noticed. I’ll let you know I’m looking forward to your vacation plans tomorrow.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m gonna completely deliver. You won’t even be ready.”

Soul watched as Maka rolled her eyes before closing them as she leaned against him with a large tired yawn. “I’ll believe it when I see it, big guy. But I’m excited. Don’t let my yawn fool you…” It was only a matter of time until Soul could hear his Meister’s light breathing which was an indication that she was sleeping. He lightly kissed the top of her head before finding a comfortable position to sleep in himself.

Soul woke up to the smell of another fire burning, and the sound of Maka stirring something in what sounded like a paper cup. He tried to focus his blurry vision on what she was doing, but the smell of maple oatmeal met his nose before his eyes could adjust to the morning light. And despite the fact that the fans were still blowing in the tent, the heavy touch of humidity that could only be brought about by summer was heavy on his skin. He could feel sweat starting to form on his forehead with the warm liquid of the air entering his lungs with each breath. This was one of the downsides of camping that he vividly remembered from his youth.

“Good morning.” Maka said, turning to Soul who was still not completely awake. “I made you some oatmeal.”

Soul followed the multitudes of smells and was met with a cup in his hand, warming it on top of the rising heat outside. He found a place next to Maka who was still stirring her oatmeal. She leaned her head on Soul’s shoulder and gave a sleepy sigh. “Did you have a good sleep?”

“For the most part. But waking up to the humidity isn’t really the best alarm clock.”

“Then, when we’re done with breakfast we can pack everything up, go home, and get ready for the hotel?”

“Sounds good to me.” Soul agreed as he ate another bite of his oatmeal. The two finished their meal before cleaning up their campsite. As Soul finished cleaning up with Maka, he looked at their former campsite and couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. He had such a good time, there was a part of him that wished that he could possibly spend another night out there. Maybe when the weather became cooler, he could suggest to Maka that they go on another camping trip. And a cool add-on would be to hear that scary story she’s holding on to.

Soul drove the two of them to the other side of the city to find a huge hotel, with the floors stretching into the sky. Maka glanced at Soul, her eyes widened at their destination. 

“Soul, this is one of the most expensive hotels in the city…”

“Of course it is. You think I would take you to a road-side hotel for a vacation? I saved up for this.”

“Were you planning this, Soul?”

Soul glanced at his partner before giving a sheepish shrug. “Maybe. I thought you deserved a nice hotel, since we’ve been doing missions, and you’re teaching twice as many classes as I am. You deserve a break.”

Maka felt her stomach flutter. She hadn't really thought about how tiring her schedule had been, and she really hadn't been vocal about it. But the fact that he had been planning something in response to that made her smile happily.

"Soul, you're so sweet I'm gonna get cavities. What am I supposed to do with you?"

"Decide tomorrow because I already got our room."

They drove into a parking garage connected to the hotel before checking in and being led to their room on a rather high floor. The person assisting them said a string of services the hotel offered, but they went completely over Maka's head. She watched Soul as he listened to the monologue, and was shocked that he understood everything that was said. Finally they got to their room, with the hotel worker giving them a fancy looking key.

"Did you get all that?" Maka whispered as Soul slid the key into the brass lock bedded in the ivory white door of their hotel room. He looked at her with his eyebrows raised in slight surprise.

"Yeah. But don't worry: I made all our reservations already."

"R-really?"

"You told me to plan everything, so I did." Soul replied with a smirk before pushing the door open. The door opened to reveal a small hallway hiding a closet. Moving forward in the room a large freshly made bed was in the middle of the room being illuminated by two large windows on the opposite wall of the bed decorated with a television in the middle. On the bed was a large bouquet of red carnations next to a small box with a green bow tying it down. Maka put her bag on the floor next to the corner after the hallway and walked to the bed to pick up the flowers.

“Soul, you got me flowers?” Maka said as she cradled the bouquet in her arms, turning to face him with her shyly looking at him with a pink face. That in turn made the butterflies in his stomach multiply. He didn’t know how she would take it, and he had even asked his grandmother what the best flowers to get her would be, and how to make sure they would be the freshest. And up until that moment, he had a worry in the back of his mind that she would hate it, and he would mess up their mini vacation.

“Yeah…” Soul replied nervously, putting his bag down next to Maka’s. “Do you like them?”

Maka nodded, bringing the flowers closer to her nose so she could smell them better. “They smell so good.” She looked at the bed and noticed the box that was still left untouched and picked it up to open it. Inside was a delicate necklace that was connected in the center with two angel wings. 

“This is so pretty…”

Soul breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you like it. I thought it would match your earrings pretty well.”

Maka plopped onto the bed, still carefully holding her presents and smirked through her blush. “When did you get so romantic?”

Soul made his way to sit next to Maka and leaned back on his hands. “Are you trying to suggest that I’m not romantic?” He looked at the night stand that was next to the bed and was relieved to see that the staff had left them a vase for the flowers. “Here, let me get some water for your flowers.”

Soul returned from the large bathroom and placed the bouquet back on the night. He watched as Maka continued to look at the necklace. "Do you want me to put it on for you?"

Maka nodded again and handed the box to Soul who placed the jewelry on her neck. She delicately touched the necklace and smiled at him.

"So what else do you have planned for today?"

"I figured we'd have a fancy dinner at the hotel restaurant, which is why I told you to bring fancy clothes. Then I figured we could watch a movie afterwards."

"Such a good plan." Maka said, leaning forward to press her lips against Soul's. "I'm looking forward to it."

As the night came upon them, Maka and Soul made their way down to the hotel restaurant, where they found their reserved table among the amount of people here. The two sat down, with Maka leaning back in her seat as she admired the large restaurant, decorated with multiple chandeliers and wooden framework with a dark stain that gave it a cozy look. She looked at the centerpiece of the table which was a candle in a protective glass surrounded by dainty white flowers. She breathed an impressed sigh.

“Soul, you really went all out.”

“Hey, I told you I was gonna plan this out.” Soul said with a smirk. The night continued with their intricate meal placed in front of them, dish by dish, ending with a dessert that was made out of apples that looked like flowers that Maka had only seen in listicles online. Thoroughly impressed and stuffed, the two returned to their room where they changed into their lounge clothes, put a movie on, and cuddled on the bed.

“Soul, this was a really great night.”

Soul responded with a smile as he intertwined his fingers with hers. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“When did you get so good at planning?”

"I really wanted to impress you. That's all." Soul said before kissing the crown of her head. She cuddled into Soul’s arms more as they watched the movie until they fell asleep. Soul woke up to his cell phone playing a jazzy tune gradually getting louder. He was confused by the feeling of an arm around his waist, but was comforted when he saw Maka still gently sleeping on his shoulder. He found himself really not wanting to move, but he couldn’t just let his phone ring. He tried to shimmy himself from under Maka without waking her up, but unfortunately it didn’t work. It had to have been a mix of the alarm increasing in volume and the sudden movement, but she shot up, her eyes bleary.

“Good morning.” Soul laughed as he turned off his phone. He could tell that she was still delirious from waking up suddenly. She gave a sigh before plopping back on the bed and burying in the soft pillow. 

“Morning…” Maka mumbled. “I forgot where we were for a second.” She finished with a tired, embarrassed laugh. 

“Well, do you want breakfast?” Soul knew it was six in the morning because of the time his alarm sounded. “They start breakfast around now. Or, we can go back to sleep and we can make breakfast at home?”

Maka shook her head and groaned. “I’m on vacation… I don’t want to make decisions right now.”

Soul chuckled. “Well, if you want, I can bring something up for you.” He said lying beside Maka, watching her look at him through squinted eyes. She smiled when he ran his fingers through her hair. 

“I want pancakes and orange juice. With strawberries.”

“Okay. I’ll be back ASAP.”

Maka heard the door shut and she sat up as the sun started lighting the room with it’s rays. She crawled out of the bed even though her bones felt like jelly and worked her way to the window that was overlooking Death City. The way that the sunlight overtook the buildings slowly made her appreciate the city she lived in. She found a chair facing the window and sat in it, continuing to watch the sun continue to rise over the tops of the buildings. Her trance was broken when she heard the door open, with Soul shambling in with a balance of plates, mini bowls and cups. She rushed over to him, helping him with everything in his hands.

“I didn’t realize you’d have so much stuff in your hands!” Maka said as she took her plate, and fruit out of his hands. “You couldn’t have called me to come down to help!”

Soul shrugged. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Remember? I’m taking care of everything here.” He said as he made his way to the bed. Maka followed suit and placed her plate that carried two pancakes on a flat part of the bed. “By the way, I put syrup and stuff on your pancakes for you.”

“Well, if anyone knows how I like my pancakes, it’s you.” She said as she picked up a strawberry. “What did you end up getting?”

“Um… Eggs over easy, bacon, oatmeal, toast and some coffee.”

Maka nodded and stuck a strawberry in her mouth. She watched as Soul reached for the remote control and found a music channel that played music she remembered hearing when he was trying to get work done. It was incredibly mellow and for that reason it reminded her of him every time she heard it. She watched as he started focusing on his food and couldn’t help but think about how much she liked the simple moments that they had. Sometimes they seemed few and far between, but just relaxing with him and not thinking about how the rest of the day would go was some of her best memories. And it really made her think about how long they had been together. And how far their relationship had really come.

“Hey, Soul.”

“Yeah?”

“You know that I love you right?”

She watched as his face turned a deep red and he dropped the piece of bacon that was on track to his mouth. His eyes widened as he looked at Maka for almost an uncomfortably long time in silence. Her stomach started flipping uncontrollably, and she felt her own face heat up as she sighed roughly with embarrassment.

“Well, say something!”

“S-sorry! I just… I wasn’t expecting it! That’s… you know… the first time you’ve said that to me… I was caught off guard!”

“I didn’t mean to catch you off guard or anything. It’s just…” Maka trailed off. Soul watched as she shifted uncomfortably and couldn’t help but feel like their morning was on the track of increasingly awkward tension. He put his plate down and slid over to Maka’s side.

“So… You love me…?” 

“Yeah! Why wouldn’t I...?”

Soul felt his mouth turn into an uncontrollable smile as he sheepishly looked down at the bed. He really didn’t know how to respond to the proclamation. It was something that he thought wouldn’t happen, and the fact that Maka was the one that said it made him feel over the moon. He leaned his head on her shoulder, still feeling giddy, partially hiding his face in her shoulder.

“I love you too, Maka. I’ve loved you for a long time... “ Soul said slightly muffled by Maka’s shoulder.

Maka felt a smile grow on her face as she listened to his statement. She hadn’t meant to say it right now. But everything these past few days felt right, and she couldn’t keep it to herself any longer. Plus, she wanted to see what would happen if she said it.

“So, I hope you know we’re in it for the long haul now, buster.” Maka said playfully, leaning her head on Soul’s. “You good with that?”

“I was good with it the moment I said yes to becoming your partner. Meaning you couldn’t get rid of me even if you tried.” Soul said lifting his head up and revealing a still giddy smirk. That smirk shot her right in her heart, and before she could stop herself her lips were pressed firmly against his. Soul could distinctly taste the strawberries on her lips and he knew that he would have to stop himself before they overstayed their welcome in the hotel. Reluctantly, he pulled apart and looked at her with a smile.

“So, uh… maybe we should finish our breakfast?”

Maka nodded wordlessly, her face red. She could feel her heart beating against her chest like a war drum rallying soldiers. She reached for her orange juice to calm her down and give her something else to focus on. She wasn’t expecting such a passionate response from Soul and it caught her off guard. Not that she didn’t like it.

“By the way, you taste like strawberries.” Soul said playfully. Maka rolled her eyes and gestured to her bowl of fruit. In response, Soul took a strawberry and winked at his Meister as she quickly focused on her pancakes. Watching her eat, he made the determination that in his whole life, this had been the best vacation he had been on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter and it's bittersweet! I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think and any ideas/ prompts you would like to see in stories. Sending out love and positivity~!

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a story based on the different seasons. I was inspired by the AU of being able to go outside, given how 2020 has been so far, haha. I hope you guys have a wonderful day and thanks for reading!


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